Coloplast to close UK factory

Coloplast has said it will be closing down its factory based in Lancing UK, from March 2007.

The medical equipment company announced that the site will be coming to an end in December this year, with 75 employees expected to lose their jobs by Christmas. Coloplast says it will assist its employees in seeking new work.

Producing continence and ostomy products, the site was acquired as part of Mentor’s urology business in June this year. However, Borsen reports that a review suggested that the operation is not financially viable.

Coloplast states the plant’s closure is unlikely to affect its financial results, though it adds that it will outline one-off costs related to the integration of the business into Mentor’s portfolio when it publishes its yearly earnings report.

While production of ostomy products is to be discontinued, the production of continence products will now be relocated to other Coloplast companies.

Meanwhile, Coloplast recently stated that its newly developed ostomy platform has offered highly improved features for people living with a stoma.

Clinical studies suggested that the platform, called SenSura, achieved overall user preference of 79-85 per cent in clinical studies in comparison with other competitive products.

Nicolai Buhl Andersen, senior vice president at Coloplast’s ostomy division, commented: “With the global roll out of SenSura we believe we can support providers and users to live a more comfortable life with ostomy.”