Novartis is continuing its multiyear overhaul with new plans to shutter its production facility in Wehr, Germany.<\/p>\n
The move, announced<\/a> Tuesday, will eliminate about 220 jobs, according to Novartis. The Swiss pharma expects the site to close by the end of 2028.<\/p>\n The Wehr facility primarily focuses on older drugs in Novartis\u2019 portfolio, utilizing traditional solid oral dosage forms such as tablets and capsules. The planned closure in Wehr will not affect the supply of Novartis\u2019 medicines, the company said.<\/p>\n Novartis\u2019 latest manufacturing reshuffling represents another shift from older technologies in favor of high-growth modalities.\u00a0<\/p>\n Located between the Rhine Valley and the Black Forest, the Wehr facility has been in operation since 1943. But in a May 5 press release in German, Novartis said: \u201cThe site is no longer competitive.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Instead, Novartis is pouring 35 million euros into building a new production facility in the eastern German city of Halle, specialized in radioligand therapies. That new plant is expected to begin operations in 2027.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe company remains firmly committed to Germany as a business location and will continue its involvement in research and development, particularly in the area of \u200b\u200bclinical trials, and its close collaboration with scientific and medical institutions as well as patient groups,\u201d according to the May 5 release translated by Google.\u00a0<\/p>\n The planned shutdown in Wehr follows a similar move by Novartis at its Stein facility in Switzerland. In November 2025, Novartis announced<\/a> that it will discontinue the production of oral solids and the packaging of sterile products at the Stein site by the end of 2027, leading to the reduction of about 550 positions. The plant will continue commercial production of complex, personalized cell therapies and serve as a center of excellence for sterile drugs.\u00a0<\/p>\n Simultaneously, the company said it plans to invest $80 million in its Schweizerhalle site near Basel to beef up production of siRNA therapies.\u00a0<\/p>\n Novartis is adjusting its European manufacturing footprint as it\u2019s making major investments in expanding its U.S. presence.\u00a0<\/p>\n