Plant owner in talks with WVU to transfer shuttered facility

By JOHN RABY
Associated Press

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — The owner of a shuttered pharmaceutical plant that recently idled hundreds of workers has entered into talks to potentially transfer the facility to West Virginia University. Drugmaker Viatris says that the company and the university are in negotiations for the facility in Morgantown. Viatris announced in December it would lay off the workers at the end of July. Gov. Jim Justice said if the negotiations pan out, WVU would work with the state Department of Economic Development to find potential companies to use the facility. West Virginia has been scrambling to lure new industries and uplift a stagnant economy once dominated by the coal industry.