Lupin braces for hurricane Irma impact

Lupin has temporarily suspended operations at its research and development centre in Florida and moved a majority of its 60 employees and their families to other parts of the US in the wake of Hurricane Irma.

The action follows the local government order for mandatory evacuation of over five million residents as Florida prepares to face one of most severe storms in recent years.

“Lupin has a staff of around 60 employees at its offices in Naples and Coral Springs. Most of our staff and their families have been evacuated and we have ensured assistance to make alternative arrangements for their safety as Hurricane Irma hits the coast. We hope our facility will be able to withstand the natural impact predicted from the hurricane. However, at this stage we can’t comment more on what awaits us. We hope all our staff and their families remain safe and normalcy is restored at the earliest,” a Lupin spokesperson said.

Lupin derives around half of its revenue from the US and chief executive Vinita Gupta is based in Naples, Florida.

In August 2015, Lupin opened its centre for excellence for inhalation research at Coral Springs, Florida, with an investment of $13 million. The R&D centre focuses on development of products for treatment of asthma, allergic rhinitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and other lung diseases.