Janssen plant founded in 1898 300 employees fear for their jobs at Bern-based vaccine manufacturer
The vaccine developer Janssen is considering closing its plant in Bern-Bümpliz. On Tuesday, it launched a consultation process with employees to find alternatives. Up to 300 employees could be affected by the closure of the plant.
01.07.2025, 22:56
02.07.2025, 05:39
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- The vaccine developer Janssen is examining the closure of its plant in Bern-Bümpliz.
- Up to 300 employees could be affected by the closure of the plant.
- The Janssen plant in Bern was founded in 1898 as the Swiss Serum and Vaccine Institute.
As the subsidiary of the US pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson announced on Tuesday, there are two reasons for considering closing the plant in Bern. Firstly, a new vaccine to prevent infections caused by coli bacteria is not proving as effective as desired.
The test vaccine against extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) has an acceptable safety profile. Reviews have shown this. However, it is not sufficiently effective compared to placebos, writes Janssen. Placebos are dummy drugs that resemble a real drug in appearance and taste without containing its active ingredients.
A partnership with the French pharmaceutical company Sanofi to develop this vaccine will therefore end at the end of September.
Competition from NL for lentiviral vectors
The second reason for the closure considerations is that lentiviral vector production in Bern will soon be coming to an end. According to the press release, the global company Johnson & Johnson is about to open a new, much larger plant in the Netherlands.
This Dutch plant will fully meet the projected global demand for lentiviral vectors in the future.
Based on these two elements, Janssen has initiated the formal consultation process. "If these proposed measures are implemented following the consultation, up to 300 employees could be affected in stages over a period of 18 months," the communiqué states.
Various strategic options, including a possible sale, are currently being examined for the Bern site. The company is in "close, constant communication" with employee representatives in order to examine potential alternatives. If possible, this also includes relocation and continued employment options.
Founded in 1898
The Janssen plant in Bern has a long history: it was founded in 1898 as the Swiss Serum and Vaccine Institute.
According to the industry portal medinside.ch, Janssen employed 500 people in Bern-Bümpliz in 2022. The plant was once also known as Berna Biotech until it was acquired by Dutch biotech company Crucell in 2006. It has belonged to Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson since 2011.
According to the company website, Johnson & Johnson operates several sites in Switzerland.