200 jobs lost as BASF closes [17/11/00]

BASF is to close its pharmaceutical research and development laboratories in Nottingham with the loss of 200 jobs. BASF put Pennyfoot Street up for sale in April as part of a consolidation of its research and development activities. Scientists at Pennyfoot Street, whom BASF described in the past as world class - 130 have a PhD or equivalent - developed drugs such as the painkiller Ibuprofen. "At the same time, BASF Pharma will create approximately 50 new positions at other research and development locations in Nottingham, Germany and the US.

An anxious wait for BASF staff [13/11/00]

Nearly 300 staff at BASF's research and development facility in Nottingham will know its future later this month. The business - formerly part of Boots Pharmaceuticals - was put up for sale in April following restructuring. Scientists at the Pennyfoot Street laboratories have developed drugs such as the painkiller ibuprofen and the anti-obesity drug sibutramine. BASF said in April that it will retain about 50 staff to focus on clinical research and regulatory affairs at one of its other Nottingham sites.

FLASHBACK

National Demonstration against Boots the Vivisectors

At midday on Saturday 7th November 1992, Animal Rights campaigners will converge on Nottingham City Centre to protest against the animal experiments carried out by the City's largest employer - The Boots Company PLC. It is 10 years since a national demonstration against Boots has been held in their home town.

The demonstration begins on the Forest Recreation Ground, 1 mile north of the city centre and finishes in the Market Square. A demo will then be held outside one of the two known Boots vivisection laboratories on Pennyfoot Street, before everyone moves on to Sneinton Hermitage Community Centre. Here there will be videos, stalls and speakers, (including) the Animal Liberation Front Press Officer and representatives of the Animal Liberation Unit and London Boots Action Group.

Boots have received particular attention by anti-vivisectionists over the past decade. In 1982 the ALF entered the other Boots lab at Thurgarton in Nottingham and rescued 13 Beagles. A National Day of Action followed, and a march was held in Nottingham.

In November 1990 the ALF returned to Thurgarton, rescuing another 8 beagles, and re-launched the campaign against the high street company. A week later the Animal Liberation Investigation Unit conducted an inspection of the labs, taking video and photographic evidence of the conditions there.

Experiments carried out by Boots have included addicting animals to morphine and cocaine, crippling monkeys with arthritis, and electrocuting mice.
As animals differ to people in their reactions to the drugs, there have been the inevitable serious side effects in people who have taken drugs developed by Boots.***
The Committe on the Safety of Medicine has held the Boots pain reliever, Nurofen, to be responsible for three deaths, and the nasal decongestant for infants, Karvol, has been criticised for its possible link in the cause of apnoea (sudden breathing stoppage).

[ Animal Liberation Investigation Unit press release November 1992 ]

*** editors comment: Boots sold its Pennyfoot Street labs to Knoll/BASF, following the disasterous failure of Manoplax - after a £100 million research program, including all the usual animal testing, human test subjects using the drug 'tended' to die more quickly than those not using the drug.