(Bloomberg) -- Consumer health giant Haleon Plc plans to close a factory to the west of London in a blow to Britain’s manufacturing ambitions.

Haleon will move the production of toothpaste and mouthwash from the site in Maidenhead to Slovakia. A strategic review found that the UK plant was “no longer a viable option,” a spokesperson said on Tuesday. 

Haleon, the producer of goods including Sensodyne toothpaste and Panadol painkillers, was split off from GSK Plc in 2022. Since then it has been trying to streamline the business, including spinning out non-core brands such as its Chapstick lip balms. Haleon has also been working to cut £300 million ($376 million) in costs, with a third of the savings to come in 2024.

Around 400 people will be affected by the closing of the site, which will take place over a two-year period, subject to consultation. “This is an important step on Haleon’s journey to creating a more agile, effective consumer health organisation, with an efficient global supply chain network,” said the spokesperson. 

While Haleon will maintain a physical UK presence with premises such as its new oral health R&D facility in Weybridge, to the south west of London, the factory’s demise will disappoint ministers. The government announced funding in March to boost investment in manufacturing and R&D, and has several plans to support UK-based production of goods.

©2024 Bloomberg L.P.