Europe’s last maker of key antibiotics ingredients shuts biggest domestic factory

Europe’s last manufacturer of ingredients for some vital antibiotics is closing its biggest domestic factory and shifting some production to China, dealing a blow to Brussels’ efforts to reduce drug dependence on Asia. Lossmaking Xellia Pharmaceuticals said it could only survive against Chinese competition by moving some of its production to its plant there. Half of Xellia’s active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) feature on the recent EU list of critical medicines and the World Health Organization’s list of essential medicines. The Danish company told staff on Tuesday that it would shut its Copenhagen plant, resulting in a loss of 500 jobs. For now, it will retain a more cost-efficient European operation in Budapest. Its chief executive Michael Kocher said that unless government-funded health systems were prepared to pay more for generic medicines, more companies based in the EU would move factories. “We are discussing so much about reshoring. I think it’s just as important to make s

Europe’s last manufacturer of ingredients for some vital antibiotics is closing its biggest domestic factory and shifting some production to China, dealing a blow to Brussels’ efforts to reduce drug dependence on Asia. Lossmaking Xellia Pharmaceuticals said it could only survive against Chinese competition by moving some of its production to its plant there. Half of Xellia’s active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) feature on the recent EU list of critical medicines and the World Health Organization’s list of essential medicines. The Danish company told staff on Tuesday that it would shut its