The last batch of medicines has left Dagenham bound for America as drugs giant Sanofi sent its final shipment abroad on Monday after shutting down its production lines.
Nearly 50,000 cartons of Ferrlecit, a drug used in the treatment of iron deficiency anaemia, were shipped to the States by the company, which is overseeing the closure of the site later this year.
During its heyday in the 1980s and 1990s, the firm employed 4,500 people at the site in Rainham Road South in Dagenham – but expiring patents led to a reduced demand for the drugs and most of the remaining 450 employees left the site last week.
Sanofi is now working on a regeneration programme aimed at transforming the 108-acre site by selling it to purchasers as “business-east” – a centre which will be used by manufacturing, science and retail industries.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here