Pharma large Pfizer is to axe round 500 jobs at its website in Kent.

Pfizer instructed Sky News it's ending its pharmaceutical sciences small molecule (PSSM) operations at its Sandwich website, which employs round 940 individuals.

It is a part of a company-wide cost-cutting programme, Pfizer stated, as a result of decrease than anticipated gross sales of its COVID-19 vaccines and therapy.

Affected workers had been notified in a short announcement on Tuesday morning and redundancy consultations will happen over the subsequent 45 days, in keeping with a Pfizer workers member who labored within the PSSM unit.

Staff are anticipated to be given discover of their exit date in January, Sky News understands.

Of the five hundred job losses, most are scientist roles however administrative roles are additionally being misplaced.

The PSSM unit makes medication for scientific trials and helps scale up manufacturing of latest medication.

It is known the roles can be moved to different websites in Chennai, India, and Connecticut within the US. Staff being made redundant on the Sandwich website will work on transition tasks to these areas.

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A Pfizer workers member instructed Sky News that the Sandwich operation principally works on tablets and a few intravenous medication - somewhat than vaccines and COVID medication equivalent to Paxlovid.

The majority of workers had been shocked on the job lower announcement, the workers member stated.

While job cuts had been anticipated, workers thought 20% to 30% of the unit could possibly be culled, somewhat than your complete PSSM operation in Sandwich.

"Various areas of Pfizer's global enterprise are making changes to operate more efficiently and effectively," a Pfizer spokesperson stated.

"These changes will be implemented on a rolling basis and will differ area to area.

"More info round this world programme can be shared over the approaching months and as a part of the total yr steering for 2024.

Last month, Pfizer lower its income forecast by 13% and introduced $3.5bn (£2.8bn) of cuts to jobs and bills.

In earlier years, nevertheless, report income was reported because of its growth of a COVID-19 vaccine with German biotech firm BioNTech.

Content Source: information.sky.com