GSK has announced plans to shut down its flu vaccine manufacturing facility in Dresden, Germany, with the closure scheduled for the summer of 2027.
The British pharmaceutical giant cited falling demand for traditional egg-based flu vaccines as the primary driver behind the decision to consolidate its global production.
GSK said it reviewed the viability of its two flu vaccine manufacturing sites in Dresden, Germany, and Ste-Foy, Canada, before reaching its conclusion.
The company stated: “With decreasing demand for traditional egg-based flu vaccines, meaning we have more capacity than we need, we’ve conducted a review of the viability of our two flu vaccines manufacturing sites in Dresden, Germany, and Ste-Foy, Canada.”
GSK added: “Following this, we have taken a difficult decision to consolidate operations at one site. We have selected the site in Canada, which can fully match anticipated future demand in a sustainable and competitive way.”
The Dresden plant employs nearly 650 people and has a long history in pharmaceutical manufacturing, originally founded in 1911 by entrepreneur Karl August Lingner as the Saxon Serum Works and Institute for Bacteriotherapy.
The facility was nationalised during the East German era before British group SmithKline Beecham, now GSK, took over production following German reunification in 1992.
The plant currently produces flu and hepatitis shots, with earlier company statements indicating that approximately 2 million vaccine doses are produced at the site each week.
German trade union Industriegewerkschaft Bergbau, Chemie, Energie, known as IGBCE, confirmed that 641 jobs are at risk and said employees were informed of the plans on Thursday.
Both the union and the plant’s works council have come out firmly against the closure, voicing strong opposition to the proposal.
IGBCE warned that shutting the Dresden facility could deprive the eastern state of Saxony of highly skilled industrial jobs and strip Germany of important pharmaceutical manufacturing expertise at a sensitive time.
The closure announcement comes as GSK advances its mRNA-based seasonal influenza vaccine candidate toward a late-stage clinical trial, following encouraging mid-stage data.
That mid-stage data showed the mRNA candidate generated stronger immune responses than currently approved standard- and high-dose shots in both younger and older adult patients.
The move reflects a broader industry shift away from egg-based vaccine production toward newer technologies, with GSK positioning its Canadian site as the more modern and cost-competitive option for future demand.