AstraZeneca PLC Terminated 50 Sales Staff in India Last Week
MUMBAI: Trouble is brewing at British drug maker Astra-Zeneca’s India unit as it terminated services of around 50 sales representatives last week as part of a global restructuring exercise and the national association of medical sales representatives threatening to strike work in protest.
The Federation of Medical and Sales Representatives of India (FMRAI) have threatened a countrywide agitation against the alleged “illegal” drive to downsize staff, the company said the move is in line with its “global strategy to consolidate investments and resources behind three main therapy areas that include cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, respiratory and autoimmunity and oncology.”
Adding to plans to narrow focus, AstraZeneca terminated a distribution arrangement for its key brand Meronem in India following a decision last month to divest its antibiotics business to Pfizer as part of a worldwide transaction.
The Federation of Medical and Sales Representatives of India (FMRAI) have threatened a countrywide agitation against the alleged “illegal” drive to downsize staff, the company said the move is in line with its “global strategy to consolidate investments and resources behind three main therapy areas that include cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, respiratory and autoimmunity and oncology.”
Adding to plans to narrow focus, AstraZeneca terminated a distribution arrangement for its key brand Meronem in India following a decision last month to divest its antibiotics business to Pfizer as part of a worldwide transaction.