State labor officials are investigating an Illinois-based pharmaceutical company’s decision to abruptly close all of its operations, including its out-of-state locations in New Jersey, New York and Switzerland, and to lay off hundreds of workers with almost no warning, the Associated Press reported. Akorn Operating Co., which is based in the northeastern Illinois city of Gurnee, told its 400 workers on Wednesday that it planned to file for bankruptcy and that they would be laid off within 24 hours. CEO Douglas Boothe told employees in a video that the company's leaders decided on the move after failing to find a buyer for the company. A spokesperson for the Illinois Department of Labor said Thursday that the agency is investigating the situation because Akorn didn’t file the required 60-day notice of mass layoffs or plant closures until Wednesday. The company developed, manufactured and marketed a wide array of branded and generic prescription drugs, including eye drops, injectables, oral liquids, inhalants and nasal sprays, according to its website. It also developed drugs for animals.
