Novo Nordisk says it will "support employees" after Athlone staff are told of job losses
Novo Nordisk said its priority is "to support our employees" after it emerged locally that approximately 75 members of staff at its Athlone facility are to be made involuntarily redundant.
The 75 mandatory redundancies, first reported by the Westmeath Independent yesterday (Tuesday), are in addition to around 40 voluntary redundancies which staff at the Athlone facility have taken up in recent weeks.
The 115 redundancies in total represent more than a quarter of the total staff at the pharmaceutical firm's local facility in Monksland.
In response to queries from the Westmeath Independent about the redundancies in Athlone, a spokesperson for Novo Nordisk said it would not be publicly confirming the number of staff affected.
The spokesperson referred to a company announcement a number of weeks ago which said it would be making 9,000 of its staff redundant across the globe.
"We have announced that the total number of intended workforce reductions globally is approximately 9,000," said the spokesperson.
"Out of respect for the employees involved, we will not share additional details about individual sites or areas. This process takes time, and our highest priority is to support our employees."
The company's statement went on to say: "We are announcing a company-wide transformation to simplify our organisation, improve decision-making speed, and reallocate resources towards the company’s growth opportunities in diabetes and obesity.
"As part of this change, we are assessing all business areas and regions to simplify structures, reduce duplication, and sharpen focus.
"These organisational changes will allow Novo Nordisk’s teams to work more efficiently and focus on what matters most: driving innovation and reaching many more patients," it concluded.
Novo Nordisk is a multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Denmark and best-known for its diabetes and weight loss treatment Ozempic.
Its facility in Monksland, Athlone, was previously home to Alkermes. In May of last year, Alkermes announced it had completed the sale of its development and manufacturing facility in Athlone to Novo Nordisk.