STAFF at the AstraZeneca lab in Brixham are 'unlikely to be significantly affected' by job cuts announced by the pharmaceutical giant.

At least 7,300 jobs will go at the company, the UK's second biggest drugs maker which employs 61,000 employees worldwide.

It is not yet known how the 8,000 staff at the eight UK sites will be affected by the cuts but a company spokesman said that because of the size of the Brixham lab and its unique role, there was no suggestion the 80 staff would be affected significantly by the announcement.

He said: "At the moment there is no breakdown of job losses.

"The changes are being dealt with internally first. They will happen by function as and when.

"There is now a consultation process under way. As such, nothing is set in stone.

"The Brixham site does something that no other site does."

It is the second time in five years the Anglo-Swedish company has shed jobs.

It has already cut 21,600 staff globally since 2007 as part of two previous restructuring initiatives, including the closure of a site at Charnwood near Loughborough at the end of last year.

Unions have said 250 to 300 of the latest cuts will be in research and development at the firm's site in Alderley Park, Cheshire, while there could be further back office cuts at other UK sites.

AstraZeneca has sites at Macclesfield, Cambridge, Luton, Avlon near Bristol, Paddington in London, and Brixham.

Allan Black, GMB national officer for pharmaceuticals, said: "These cutting-edge research and development jobs are both well-paid and essential for a thriving UK economy."

The jobs blow came as the Cheshire-based company announced a two per cent fall in revenues to £21.1billion in 2011, while profits fell four per cent to £8.4billion.

Despite the cost-cutting measures announced last week, AstraZenaca announced a 10 per cent hike in its dividend and plans to return an additional £2.9billion to shareholders in 2012 on top of the £6billion last year.