Hospira Costa Rica Ltd., a subsidiary of Pfizer Inc., announced last week they are shifting their production in the Dominican Republic to Costa Rica this year.

The multinational, which manufactures medical infusion and transfusion equipment, said it will gradually close its manufacturing plant in the Dominican Republic over the course of this year, and transfer most of those operations to its Barreal de Heredia plant in Global Park.

No figures were announced on new jobs expected to open in Costa Rica as a result of the company’s shift in operations, nor whether further investments to their plant will be made.

“After careful analysis of product volume and global manufacturing capabilities, we have made the difficult decision to discontinue manufacturing operations in the Dominican Republic and transfer most of the operations to the plant in Costa Rica,” the company said in a statement last week about the changes which were announced in the Dominican republic at the end of March.

In September 2015, Hospira was acquired by pharmaceutical multinational Pfizer for a reported US$17 billion.

Reports in Dominican newspapers said Hospira’s departure will mean the loss 700 jobs in the island country.

Hospira is the world’s largest producer of generic injectable pharmaceuticals, manufacturing generic acute-care and oncology injectables, as well as integrated infusion therapy and medication management systems, according to Wikipedia. Hospira’s products are used by hospitals and alternate site providers, such as clinics, home healthcare providers and long-term care facilities.

Hospira, based in Lake Forest, Illinois, started in Costa Rica in 1999 when it was the hospital products division of Abbott Laboratories, with 300 employees. In 2004, the company became independent of Abbott and took on the name Hospira, according to Wikipedia.

In January 2007, the company moved operations from Ireland to Costa Rica to save costs, said Hospira.