Boehringer drops virology R&D

German pharma company Boehringer Ingelheim is to close its R&D site in Laval, Canada, in early 2013, with the loss of 170 jobs. The site specialises in virology, a research area that Boehringer is now leaving because ‘the demands for medical innovation are shifting significantly’ and the emphasis is now on prevention through vaccination, an area in which the company is not active.

The move follows several recent tough blows to the Canadian life sciences industry, which is concentrated in the largest city in Quebec, Montreal, and the surrounding region, including Laval. Sanofi, AstraZeneca and Merck & Co have all cut jobs in the area in recent years.