Cuts in sight for the American pharmaceutical group Bristol-Myers Squibb in Italy. Bms has communicated its intention to initiate a collective dismissal procedure for 260 employees, including white collars and middle managers of the pharmaceutical division. In detail, the condition of "structural redundancy", as it is defined, concerns 224 drug sales reps, 22 Area Manager and Sales Manager positions, and 14 dedicated to some support services for drug scientific information and the Rome office, deemed no longer functional to the company strategy.
The official communication was sent on 18 January by Unindustria to the relevant trade unions and regional offices.
In the document, "the reasons that determine the structural surplus relating to the Company's Rome office" are traced back to "three macro-problem areas". First of all "the economic-financial situation of the Company in the context of the current critical context that has affected the Italian territory in the last 2 years".
Furthermore, "the specific actions undertaken by successive governments and regulatory authorities in Italy over time, regarding the limitations and timing of the inclusion of new drugs in national formularies, as well as in terms of containing health care costs, would weigh".
The third factor is the "impact" of the "global review of some trade cooperation agreements". For example, the end (at the end of 2012) of the partnership with Sanofi for co-promotion
of the antihypertensive drug irbesartan and the anticoagulant clopidogrel, and the decision to end all active promotional activities on the antipsychotic Otsuka from April 1, 2013".
As for new products, "the innovative drug Nulojix (belatacept), for the prevention of rejection in kidney transplant patients, has received non-reimbursable approval in Italy, with a consequent reduction in plans to support the drug given the modest sales expected in such conditions. During 2013 and in the years to come, the Company will have to
