Hundreds of workers at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals are expected to be laid off or transferred from Pearl River in the next few months following the company's merger with drug maker Pfizer.

Rockland County Executive Scott Vanderhoef says about 40 percent of the research and development is going to be taken away from the Pearl River site in 2010 and 2011. That means 440 employees are likely to lose their jobs. Another 210 positions will be eliminated on the manufacturing side as a result of the merger.

Vanderhoef, while concerned about the layoffs, says the good news is Pfizer has chosen the Pearl River site as its main research facility.