
DOVER, Del. (AP) - AstraZeneca PLC says it is cutting 1,200 jobs at its U.S. headquarters in Wilmington.
The pharmaceutical company said Monday that the cuts are part of a global restructuring of its research and development centers, to be completed by 2016. AstraZeneca says it is concentrating small molecule and biologics R&D activities in Gaithersburg, Md., Cambridge, England and Mölndal, Sweden.
AstraZeneca says the exit of it global medicines development group from Wilmington and the relocation of global marketing and U.S. specialty care commercial roles will result in about 1,200 job cuts in Wilmington. But Wilmington will remain the company's North America commercial headquarters, with about 2,000 employees.
Gov. Jack Markell's office says it's not easy to hear that people will lose their jobs but that state officials understand the challenges AstraZeneca faces.
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