Pfizer has announced plans to close the largest biologic manufacturing site in Australia.
The site in Adelaide, which currently employs 89 people and completed the final phase of a $21 million investment last year, will close by 2021.
Pfizer acquired the site as part of its 2015 acquisition of Hospira. The facility manufactures biosimilar filgrastim for the global market.
In a statement, Pfizer said the decision to close the site followed an evaluation of its global manufacturing network after the Hospira takeover.
"As a result of this evaluation, we have made the decision to exit the legacy Hospira plant located in Adelaide, Australia by the end of 2021.
"This has been a difficult decision, and was based on a number of factors including the existing capacity within Pfizer’s global manufacturing network and the efficiency of consolidating manufacturing to fewer locations.
"The Adelaide site employs 89 people. Our focus is on our colleagues impacted by this decision and providing support services for them and in due course, exploring opportunities for redeployment. We are committed to keeping colleagues informed of the site exit process in this period up to the end of 2021.
“Our colleagues in Adelaide and work they continue to do will be vital in ensuring a successful launch of the product that is being manufactured there until the transfer of operations is complete."
The decision is another blow for South Australia.
The state is coming to terms with the closure of its once large automotive manufacturing sector and was planning on facilities, like that at Pfizer's Adelaide biologic site, to support its transition to a new advanced manufacturing base.