Aenova agrees to employ former SkyePharma staff
Will expand its oral product development activities in Muttenz, Switzerland
Further to SkyePharma sub-letting part of its laboratories in Muttenz, Switzerland to the Aenova Group, Aenova has agreed to employ 15 skilled staff in its new development centre, including 11 technical staff recruited by agreement from SkyePharma’s oral formulation and oral analytical development team.
SkyePharma announced in January that it would cut its workforce of more than 100 in Muttenz by 20% to improve competitiveness and reduce costs.
Aenova will use its Muttenz development centre to expand its oral product development activities as well as carry out oral product formulation and analytical services for SkyePharma on a sub-contract basis.
SkyePharma says it will continue to offer oral drug delivery solutions through its business development team, led by Pierre Delavaud, executive vp of sales and business development, supported by Guy Vergnault, vp of oral drug delivery solutions.
In August 2011, SkyePharma leased its entire pharmaceutical manufacturing business and premises at Saint Quentin-Fallavier, Lyon, France, to the Aenova Group for an initial period of two years, extendable for a further three years.
The new agreement between SkyePharma and Aenova in Switzerland could lead to collaborative development opportunities.
SkyePharma said changes at the Muttenz facility would not affect relationships with existing or potential customers and SkyePharma will continue to provide its full range of innovative oral and inhalation drug delivery solutions, subcontracting where appropriate to Aenova for oral development and manufacturing.
SkyePharma's chief executive, Peter Grant, said: ‘We are pleased that so many of SkyePharma’s skilled oral technical staff have been offered and taken jobs with Aenova, based in the same laboratories in our premises in Muttenz and remain available for our future oral development projects.
‘The alliance announced last year with Aenova provided an important opportunity to increase the utilisation of our Lyon facility, generate rental income and enable SkyePharma to focus on its core business of developing drug delivery solutions for the global pharmaceutical industry.
‘Our Muttenz business will continue to operate competitively but with lower fixed costs, providing greater flexibility for our new business and r&d activities.’