Wyeth Ltd will shut down its Valsad plant in the next few weeks after offering VRS to its 180 odd employees working there. April 18 is going to be the last day of work for the employees at the facility after that process of shutting down the plant will start, informed sources said.

The company had proposed an offer of Rs 13 lakh to employees with more than 160 weeks of employment left with them, Rs 12 lakh for employees who come under the range of 160-80 weeks of balance employment and Rs 11.5 lakh for employees below eighty months of service left with them, said sources.

Wyeth officials were not available for a confirmation.

The employees have given a 100 per cent response to the offer. Out of the 180 employees, 110 are workers, who come under the bargainable category and the remaining consisting of officer and management cadre employees.

Major formulations that were manufactured at the plant include Cynomicin, Neumega, Cipracil Sodium Injection, Dimox, Autrin, Hetrazan, Zozin, and Hipdiper Injection.

In 2001, the company used to manufacture about 36 odd formulations at the plant, which has been reduced to 16 now, after assigning the other 20 to third party manufacturers. Wyeth had stopped bulk production in the plant after 2002.

The Valsad unit had employed over 300 workers some years ago. The strength brought down to 110 over the years.