Germany's Schering AG to Divest France Facility

German drug producer Schering AG is to sell its hormones manufacturing unit near Roubaix, France, and will transfer production to Germany. Despite heavy investment in recent years, the facility has suffered amid the recent trend against hormone-based therapies for menopause, such as HRT. The company's own projections envisage a 40% decline in hormones demand, particularly in the US, over the medium term.

The Lys-des-Lannoy site also houses Schering's corporate headquarters in France, where the company employs about 900 staff. Schering claims that the unit is highly productive, although finding a buyer amid the current market conditions is unlikely to be easy.