Munster Express Online

By Michelle Clancy

There are concerns that some 200 jobs at a pharmaceutical plant in Waterford could be in jeopardy, following a decision by management to review operations as part of a cost-cutting initiative.The IDA Industrial Park-based Sanofi-Aventis has put its manufacturing operations in the city under review and a decision is expected within the next six months. This follows the announcement of more than 820 job losses by the company in France and Germany in recent weeks. The world’s third-largest drugmaker, Sanofi-Aventis manufactures mainly creams and ointments at the Waterford operation and is understood to have increased production of late. However there is speculation that the plant has been targeted by senior executives as part of its cost-cutting campaign. A company spokesperson has declined to comment on the review.Sanofi-Aventis, which also employs about 130 people in Dublin in sales and marketing, enjoys annual sales of more than €135m in Ireland. The company was formed in 2004 when Paris-based Sanofi-Synthelabo took over its Franco-German peer Aventis Pharma for €54.5 billion and the Irish operation is a legacy of the Aventis side of the business. The Waterford operation was formerly known as Natrapharma and originally Hadensa. The European job losses have been attributed to health spending cuts in France and Germany. Many European governments are forcing down prescription drug prices and reimbursement levels they negotiate with drugmakers as they grapple with high public healthcare deficits.