Pfizer to trim 6,000 jobs, shut 8 plants worldwide

NEW YORK (AP) — Pfizer Inc. said today it will cut 6,000 jobs as it trims its manufacturing capacity worldwide after acquiring smaller rival Wyeth last year.

The world's biggest drugmaker says it will cease operations at eight plants in Ireland, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. by the end of 2015, and reduce operations at six other plants over the next several years.

The plants make a range of pharmaceutical and consumer health products. Overall, the company operates 78 plants internationally and employs about 116,000 workers.

The New York-based company said in April it would cut 20,000 jobs as part of the Wyeth integration.

"The restructuring of our global plant network is critical to our efforts to remain competitive so that we can continue to meet patient needs and expand the access and affordability of our medicines," Nat Ricciardi, Pfizer global manufacturing president, said in a statement.