GSK to Close Dresden Vaccine Plant, Putting 641 Jobs at Risk

GSK (GSK) will shut its vaccine manufacturing facility in Dresden, Germany, in the summer of 2027, the company announced, citing falling demand for traditional egg-based influenza vaccines. The closure puts 641 jobs at risk, according to German trade union IGBCE.

The British drugmaker said a review of its two flu vaccine production sites — in Dresden and Ste-Foy, Canada — had concluded that consolidating operations at the Canadian facility was the more sustainable and competitive path. "We have more capacity than we need," GSK said, adding that the Ste-Foy site could fully meet anticipated future demand on its own.

IGBCE said workers were informed of the plans y and that both the union and the plant's works council opposed the closure. The union warned that shutting the facility would cost the eastern state of Saxony skilled industrial jobs and deprive Germany of pharmaceutical manufacturing expertise. The Dresden plant currently produces flu and hepatitis vaccines.

The decision comes as GSK advances its mRNA-based seasonal influenza vaccine candidate into late-stage trials this month, following mid-stage data showing stronger immune responses than existing standard- and high-dose shots in both younger and older adults — a technology that does not rely on egg-based production.

The plant closure adds to mounting industrial pressures in Saxony. Volkswagen (VWAGY) last week unveiled a sweeping restructuring plan that could result in 50,000 additional job cuts globally, including the closure of several factories in the region.