Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer announced today it will cut 50 jobs at its estrogen extraction plant in Brandon in 2012 and 2013, reducing the number of employees at the facility from 130 to 80.
However, the cutbacks will not affect pregnant mares’ urine farms in Manitoba and Saskatchewan that supply the plant.
“This decision will not impact the site’s rancher network who support the plant’s production,” Pfizer said in a written statement.
A network of 26 horse ranches in Manitoba and Saskatchewan supply horse urine to the plant, where it is converted to conjugated estrogen. Pfizer uses the estrogen to make Premarin, a hormone replacement drug used to treat menopausal symptoms.
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Pfizer said the layoffs are part of company restructuring.
“Pfizer operates in a very competitive and challenging environment, which requires a continual review of its operations to look for efficiencies and cost reductions.”
According to the North American Equine Ranching Information Council, there are 22 PMU farms in Manitoba and four in Saskatchewan.
In the 1990s, there were more than 400 PMU farms in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. But a Women’s Health Initiative study, which was prematurely stopped in 2002, determined the use of estrogen and progestin increased the risk of breast cancer and cardiovascular disease for women who took the pills, compared to women who took a placebo.
