Future challenges drive cuts in French pharma sales workforce

The French arm of Pfizer plans to do away with around 500 jobs as key products lose patent protection and sales tumble between now and 2012, according to Gerard Bouquet, vice-president responsible for political and institutional relations.

Pfizer France estimates its sales will decline from around Euro 1.4bn to just over €800m over this period. Most of the jobs being axed are sales representative positions that will no longer be needed because of the patent expiries.

In 2011, Pfizer's flagship anti-cholesterol drug Lipitor/Tahor (atorvastatin) will lose its patent protection. Other products in the same position are the Alzheimer's product Aricept (donepezil, with Eisai), the glaucoma drug Xalatan (latanoprost) and the anticancer drug Campto (irinotecan).

The biggest job cuts will be in the number of sales representatives specifically targeting general practitioners. These will fall from 800 to around 400. The French subsidiary also plans to reduce the sales force targeting hospitals and specialists, by some 80 posts from the current level of about 350.

Jobs at the head office that support the sales force will also be affected, but Bouquet gave no figures. Management is due to provide details when it meets staff representatives at the end of June.

Meanwhile, Wyeth France is planning to cut its sales force by 130 jobs to face the challenges ahead. Wyeth currently has about 580 employees in France, of whom 180 work at its r&d hub and 400 in marketing.

The French arm of Wyeth is going to be faced with the end of its patent on the antidepressant Effexor (venlafaxine) at the end of the year and this will affect jobs in sales, at the head office and in support services.

In May 2007, Wyeth redeployed part of its sales force through transfer of products from its gynaecological unit to Codepharma. This led to the transfer of some 40 employees. In addition, it transferred its distribution site at Blois to its agent Depolabo, entailing the transfer of some 60 employees.

Globally, Wyeth has launched a restructuring plan aimed at cutting 6% of the workforce by the end of the year; over the coming years the workforce will continue to be pruned until employee numbers have been reduced by 10%.