WEHR, Germany, May 5, 2026, 13:15 (CEST)
- Novartis intends to shut down its Wehr manufacturing site by the end of 2028, putting roughly 220 positions at risk.
- The facility produces tablets and capsules for older drugs, but Novartis says it just can’t compete anymore.
- Novartis plans to invest 35 million euros in a new cancer-therapy manufacturing facility in Halle, with operations expected to get underway in 2027.
Novartis on Tuesday announced plans to shutter its production facility in Wehr, southern Baden-Württemberg, by the end of 2028. Roughly 220 jobs are on the line at the German site. The Swiss pharmaceutical firm cited a lack of competitiveness at the plant.
Novartis is closing older pill production lines, but the drugmaker continues pouring money into advanced cancer-drug facilities in Germany. The company insisted the Wehr plant shutdown won’t disrupt medicines and said its commitment to Germany stands.
Novartis produces solid oral dosage forms—think tablets and capsules taken by mouth—at its Wehr site, mostly handling established portfolio drugs. Now, the company says it will start legal information and consultation processes with employee representatives as it moves forward with the planned changes.
“We are aware of the uncertainty” this announcement creates for Wehr employees, said Steffen Lang, president operations at Novartis, in a company statement. Lang added the company plans to work “closely, transparently and respectfully” with both staff and the community. t-online
The move hits a small industrial hub close to Switzerland. According to Südkurier, the closure marks the end of 85 years of operations in Wehr. The company’s first statement didn’t mention shifting employees or production to any other location.
Novartis still has a sizable presence across Germany beyond Wehr. The company reports a workforce topping 2,600 spread across six locations in the country. Prior to Tuesday’s news, the German site page listed Wehr as a hub exporting to over 75 countries, pushing out 1.23 billion tablets and granules annually.
Novartis is putting 35 million euros into a new facility for radioligand therapies in Halle, Saxony-Anhalt. The company is betting on these cancer drugs, which deliver radioactive isotopes straight to tumor cells. The plant, according to Novartis, is slated to come online in 2027.
The move lines up with Novartis’ broader overhaul of its manufacturing operations. Back in November, Reuters said Novartis aimed to axe as many as 550 full-time positions at its Stein facility in Switzerland by the close of 2027, following the company’s decision to wind down tablet and capsule production there. The report also pointed out that both Novartis and Roche remain among the top Swiss investors in the U.S.
The Wehr plan remains in flux. Novartis hasn’t locked down timelines or spelled out transfer and redeployment details yet, leaving room for changes as talks with labor reps get underway over severance and any cushioning steps.
