Aug 13, 2021 2 min read

The pre-merger pharmaceutical firm known as Mylan NV may be party to a significant gift-wrapping.

Viatris Inc., a partnership of Mylan and Upjohn, is in discussions with West Virginia University about giving its large pharmaceuticals plant in Morgantown, W.Va., to the Morgantown-based school. Viatris has been seeking a buyer for the recently shuttered facility, but has been unable to secure one, and is now also pursuing an alternate plan.

The merged company, which began operations on Nov. 16, announced a month later that it would shutter the facility on July 31, 2021. It did just that, as part of a strategy to reduce its global workforce by 20%. The plant, described as the Chestnut Ridge oral solid dose manufacturing facility, employed an estimated 1,600. A small group is still working.

Viatris’ corporate center is in Southpointe II, where Mylan had its administrative headquarters. The pharmaceutical firm has two other global centers, in Shanghai, China, and Hyderabad, India.

The company said in a prepared statement: “We have worked diligently to try to identify viable alternatives for the site outside of the company’s network. … While Viatris remains open to any new expressions of interest, we are committed to continuing to work with state officials and others to secure the next best possible future outcome for the Chestnut Ridge site.

“To that end, the company has commenced discussions to align on a memorandum of understanding with West Virginia University and its affiliates to pursue the potential transfer and ownership of the site.”

Robert Coury, Viatris’ executive chairman, said in a statement: “Given the present landscape … we determined that pursuing formal discussions with WVU and its affiliates is the absolute right next step to consider. This is especially true given that we intend to continue to remain a significant employer in Morgantown, including at our world-class global center of excellence for research and development.”

Mylan was founded in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., in 1961 by Milan Puskar and Don Panoz. The company moved its corporate headquarters from Morgantown to Canonsburg in 1976, before relocating to Southpointe in neighboring Cecil Township in 2004. The firm moved to in its current location in the mixed-use park in 2013.

The company trades on Nasdaq under the symbol VTRS.