Albany Molecular Research Inc. is shifting jobs from a research lab it is closing in Washington state to Albany, New York. Jobs are also being shifted to a new research center the drug company is opening in Buffalo, said CEO Thomas D’Ambra. D’Ambra said four or five of the 25 jobs in Washington will relocate to the Albany area, where AMRI has 600 of its 1,400 employees. Another 15 or so jobs will relocate to Buffalo. He said a few jobs could be moved to AMRI’s Singapore plant. AMRI expects to have the Washington state plant shut down by the end of March. AMRI (Nasdaq: AMRI) is a 21-year-old drug discovery company that researches and produces drugs on a contract basis. It holds patents tied to the active ingredient in the allergy medication Allegra. Its local operations are in Albany, East Greenbush and Rensselaer, as well as Syracuse. Last month, it announced plans to open a research center and labs in Buffalo. AMRI will locate 75 jobs at the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus over the next five years. The state is investing $50 million that will go toward research equipment and lab renovations at the campus. Private investments from equipment suppliers and other drug companies, including AMRI, are expected to total $200 million.
