"Soon" could mean a week, a month, or a quarter--in which case I'd agree with you.

Posts here are talking about 2012-2015--most people would not call that "soon"

Please be more precise (are you a manager, perhaps?)

Sandwich isn't going to be closed anytime soon. Don't worry.

From across the pond, I find this sad. Sure some people complain about Sandwich in Groton, but there are those of us who have really enjoyed working with Sandwich colleagues. Personal opinion, I think Groton hasn't been productive because of our mean-spirited culture.

Closing SN will maintain's AD 100% record on that score. She's a shutdown expert.

"Unless they start slashing school budgets and laying off Teachers"

It's already started mate...and there's worse to come. Much, much worse. Anybody thinking of teaching should look at all oftheir options.

Once the decision on the Pilot Plant is done then Sandwich is toast

Re: WTF are you kidding? There is no way that anyone is going to hear a even a tiny leak before a site closure occurs.

That is what we said at AstraZeneca Charnwood when we first started getting the rumours. I'd believe anything now.

When you hear about the next large group to vacate the site you will understand why the writing is on the wall. It doesn't need those on high to say it, it's obvious. Watch and wait.

"Quite sad in a way that a site that was almost 5000 strong at one point will cease to function "

This already happened to many legacy Wyeth sites, tough luck.

"there's gonna be a lot of ex-Pfizer teachers in Kent!!!"

Unless they start slashing school budgets and laying off Teachers there like they do in the States.

there's gonna be a lot of ex-Pfizer teachers in Kent!!!

agreed; no longer doubt for a moment that sandwich will close. In fact, would speculate that its probably a done deal with the date already set (by 2012?). There is nothing in the near-market pipeline that can possibly save it. However, no one - and i mean no one, at sandwich, regardless of grade, will be in on this until the last very last minute. Quite sad in a way that a site that was almost 5000 strong at one point will cease to function and yet drug discovery, science and patient populations will not be any the worse off for its demise.

"I'm finally hearing concern from Sandwich Management that the closure of Sandwich is quite likely. I didn't want to believe this and am shocked by how far some plans have progressed. Expect to hear quite a few shake ups soon with unexpected relocations of some groups to other sites. Christ I'm shocked by how this news has affected me."

WTF are you kidding? There is no way that anyone is going to hear a even a tiny leak before a site closure occurs.

I'm finally hearing concern from Sandwich Management that the closure of Sandwich is quite likely. I didn't want to believe this and am shocked by how far some plans have progressed. Expect to hear quite a few shake ups soon with unexpected relocations of some groups to other sites. Christ I'm shocked by how this news has affected me.

"You may have HTS but, Groton refuses to send their samples to you. They would rather run them in small batches then send anything to Sandwich. Groton HTS team rocked and they got screwed just because the VEEP didn't want to travel to Groton. Their numbers exceeded Sandwich by a factor of 4."

Name one drug that was discovered as a consequence of a Groton HTS.

At least Sandwich has Maraviroc even if it hasn't made any money.

It won't matter anyway - the new model is to run the screens where the compounds are made - in India or China.

what numbers? the numbers of leads that turned out to be medicines which benefit the ill? No. I don't think so. And sadly, no other numbers matter.
Oh, the mighty Groton and its false measures of productivity. And no one says "rocks" anymore. No doubt your name is Brad, or Zak, or Chad, or Zeek or some other nomenclature of twatness. Do us all a favour, not least of all your parents; handshake the carbon monoxide.

You may have HTS but, Groton refuses to send their samples to you. They would rather run them in small batches then send anything to Sandwich. Groton HTS team rocked and they got screwed just because the VEEP didn't want to travel to Groton. Their numbers exceeded Sandwich by a factor of 4.

yes it is

is sandwich still doing HTS? May have misunderstood but TS in Groton indicated that library screening would be centralised to a single site after Lipitor drops. You guys may be lucky - you may become our only small white pill unit with the rest of us mucking about with antibodies and vaccines.

You must work in Liquids

No I work at Pfizer - all of Pfizer is SLOW - the place has stopped because management is still integrating! This stupidity has been going on ever since we bought Warner Lambert. If we hadn't started the merger insanity we would be sitting on several winning drugs by now.
PFIZER MANAGEMENT managed the company straight into the ground.

Was also told 'more to come'

confirmed yesterday as being safe "this round" but then told that sandwich should keep one eye on the ball and the other on lipitors patent ending. I don't know why we are renting out to contract chemists - cant see any need after 2012. So i give in, and since other pharma in the uk clearly have no intention of hiring ex-pfizer folk, its got to be a career change.

You must work in Liquids

I am soo bored!!!
This waiting around for my pay cheque
I don't deserve it but I got over it a long time ago.

SPB

Our departmental director always said that we should feel free to ignore and not attend any meetings if we didn't feel they were a good use of our time.

I tried that a few of times.....it didn't do me any good.
Not a team player.
So I went back to wasting my time.

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 16/02/2010 - 12:26.

I've often wondered if shift work for research would work. People only work one quarter of the total week--for the rest of the time those labs are empty, but heated, vented and usually with the lights on. Would it speed things up, or would it just result in chaos?

Interesting.
During the 1973 miner's strike in the UK when the electricity supply was restricted, much of industry, including the chemical research division of PFE Sandwich, worked part time.
During those weeks the number of UK compounds prepared was greater than in a similar period before the strike.

One though, if PFE Sandwich is in 'good' shape, why did C&E News just report a bunch of contract chemists being brought in? The era of the chemists are over, next the biologists, pretty soon we will all be contracts or watch our job go to China

"Shift work requires planning and team work"

Surely both are Pfizer core values, so no problem!

Its difficult enough to get them to work during the day. Just think how hard it would be at night. Shift work requires planning and team work.

Our departmental director always said that we should feel free to ignore and not attend any meetings if we didn't feel they were a good use of our time.

'.. methinks you folks think you are still at University instead of in industry..'

Exactly. Couldn't agree more. Time to shake things up, and stop encouraging people to sit around in pseudo-academic meetings, powerpoint presentations and 'problem sessions' that, lets face it deliver nothing. Deliver the portfolio guys! Set up out of hours sessions to sit around and spout crap if you want to.

It'll take a leader with balls to implement. Can't see any of them around anywhere...

If they did shift work than how would everyone attend the ultra important power point presentations?Maybe University is different in the UK but I worked my ass off in grad school.

I've often wondered if shift work for research would work. People only work one quarter of the total week--for the rest of the time those labs are empty, but heated, vented and usually with the lights on. Would it speed things up, or would it just result in chaos?

what utter non-science! if a day really makes such a difference to getting a drug to market , why aren't we running the labs 24/7?

when I have visited labs in the US, UK and elsewhere there never seems to be a lot of action.. methinks you folks think you are still at University instead of in industry.. time to wake up!!!!

you bet .. that's how these folks think... the who is waiting?.... hmmmm the shareholder is waiting... I have no problem with that at all... just cut the cost on all the BS

I am sure you did but where from? Where I live in rural Kent leaving the village was not possible.

However, good on you .. did they let you in?

It isn't a joke. The British public don't invest in snow tyres for our cars because they are not needed very often. Why would we expect our cars to drive in the snow?? The UK is not geared up for snow. We get it so rarely that it isn't worth the investment in snow ploughs etc. The Sandwich site has closed for 1 day at the request of Kent police due to the drifting of snow, so what. We employ local farmers to clear the roads and they did a brilliant job, although not in time for the early morning rush hour. Good on them!

In my reply earlier today I used "A light dusting of snow ..." as a criticism of just how we Brits are a bunch of wimps when more than a cm of snow falls. I did drive to the Sandwich site, only to find that it was closed (I didn't pick up the site closed 'phone message until I got back home). The roads were devoid of vehicles and my journey took less time than normal; let's have more snow. The patient is now having to wait an extra day for that new medicine because the scientists who do care, weren't allowed to work!

"most of kent is closed"

What a joke. Here 18 inches of snow in eastern US and none of the sites was closed.

I presume this is the new automated telephone sacking system being given a trial run while the weather is bad. Think how much more efficient it will all be in 2011 when management will be able to close the site for good with one automated phone call to everyone.

And a phonecall this evening to tell me the site will be open tomorrow. Shame they got rid of me then.

Ah yes, respect for people at it's finest. Just the type of efficiency you'd expect from Pfizer Management!

Well at least the phoned me this morning to tell me not to come into work despite having already got rid of me a month a go.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/8509871.stm

most of kent is closed

I can find no reference to this in the news wires. Please post a link to a believable source to confirm Sandwich is closing.

Christ that is bad!

"Pfizer Sandwich in best ever shape today (closed)!"

They are closing sites at a moments notice now ...didn't even get an exit interview! A light dusting of snow and bang goes another site. Only global warming can save us now from more site closures.

Pfizer Sandwich in best ever shape today (closed)!

common sense

make chemists redundant. instant improvement.

Pfizer arithmetic:

Make redundant 60 chemists over approx 1 year.
Add 50 chemists on-site at CRO

Result? Expansion!!