But the US firm said the job cuts, to be made over the next two years, would be offset by an almost identical number of jobs being moved to the plant.

A spokesman said there would not be a “significant change” in the number of people based at the site in Sandwich.

The factory employs 3,600 staff and 400 job cuts in manufacturing at the site had already been announced this year.

Another 200 jobs were shed there in April 2003 by the firm, which makes impotence drug Viagra and is east Kent’s biggest employer.

‘Great value’

The latest cuts come as part of a global business review, aimed at saving $4bn.

The current “Adapting To Scale” job cutting exercise follows the company’s takeover of rival drug companies and Warner Lambert in 2002.

Pfizer spokesman Joel Morris said: “There will be some job losses here but it’s important to distinguish between the job losses and the number of people that are actually affected.

“There won’t be a significant change in the number of people based at Sandwich.”

Local Labour MP Stephen Ladyman used to work at the site for Pfizer and said he was pleased the number of jobs going was not too high.

He said: “My is that it’s being kept at that low level because Pfizer has already been through a series of at the Sandwich site.

“The site is now as being efficient and effective and its record is that it is the greatest drug discovery team in the entire world, so it’s obviously of great value to Pfizer.”