Job losses as US medical research firm closes lab
- Published
An American medical research company is closing its Edinburgh testing laboratory with the loss of about 60 jobs.
Charles River Laboratories is consulting on closure of the medicines quality test centre at Riccarton, near Heriot-Watt University.
The firm is blaming continuing uncertainty over Brexit.
Some of the jobs being lost are based at its test centre in Tranent, East Lothian.
Most of that facility, understood to feature animal testing, will remain open.
A spokeswoman told BBC Scotland: "The current transition period resulting from the UK's decision to exit the European Union has caused uncertainty and a disruption to our business".
She declined to say what will happen to seven other plants operated in England by Charles River Laboratories.
The trade union Unite Scotland said the job losses, planned over the next year, would be "devastating" for workers at a particularly challenging time.