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Novartis is carrying out another round of layoffs in East Hanover, New Jersey, where 76 employees are scheduled to lose their jobs effective Aug. 21, according to a WARN filing submitted to the state.
This marks the third workforce reduction affecting Novartis’ New Jersey operations in 2026. Earlier in the year, the company disclosed layoffs impacting 114 employees, with those cuts scheduled between June 26 and Nov. 27. A second WARN notice issued in April outlined an additional 60 positions set to be eliminated between July 24 and Nov. 20.
Outside the U.S., Novartis also recently announced plans to close a manufacturing facility in Germany by the end of 2028, a decision expected to result in the loss of 220 jobs.
AbbVie is preparing to reduce headcount at its Irvine, California operations, where 85 employees are expected to be laid off effective July 20, according to a WARN notice.
Despite the workforce reduction, the company continues to recruit for numerous positions in California, with openings spanning areas such as data science and biologics product development.
The layoffs come as AbbVie leadership compensation has drawn attention. According to a recent BioSpace report, CEO Robert Michael’s total compensation package rose 76% year over year, reaching $32.5 million in 2025.
Based on publicly tracked disclosures, this appears to be AbbVie’s first announced round of layoffs this year.
Novartis has confirmed another round of workforce reductions, this time affecting a limited number of employees within its biomedical research division. In a statement provided to BioSpace, the company said it continues to review its organizational structure to ensure alignment with its strategy as a focused innovative medicines company.
The latest cuts add to a growing list of layoffs and restructuring measures announced by Novartis this year, collectively impacting nearly 400 employees. Earlier in May, the Swiss pharma revealed plans to close its production facility in Wehr, Germany, by the end of 2028, a move expected to eliminate 220 positions.
In addition, WARN notices filed in March and April disclosed that 174 employees in East Hanover, New Jersey, will be affected by workforce reductions. Of those, layoffs involving 114 employees are scheduled between June 26 and Nov. 27, while another 60 positions will be cut from July 24 through Nov. 20.
Takeda is launching a large-scale transformation initiative aimed at reducing costs and simplifying corporate operations, with plans to eliminate approximately 4,500 roles during fiscal year 2026, according to a recent earnings presentation.
The company said the layoffs account for less than 10% of its global workforce and emphasized that hiring activity will continue. A spokesperson noted that Takeda currently has around 2,200 open positions worldwide and expects to create additional roles throughout the year, with priority given to internal candidates.
According to the company, the restructuring will be implemented gradually across different business units and regions based on operational needs and local regulations. The reductions include an estimated 247 positions in Massachusetts and 387 additional roles in other U.S. states, figures previously disclosed in a March WARN filing.
Valneva plans to reduce its global workforce by approximately 10% to 15% as the company shifts resources toward core operations and strategic priorities. Based on its reported headcount of 674 employees at the end of last year, the restructuring could affect roughly 67 to 101 employees worldwide.
The France-based vaccine maker expects the cuts to lower operating expenses in 2026 by between 25% and 35% compared with 2025 levels.
The workforce reduction follows weaker financial performance in the first quarter, when total revenue declined to 30.9 million euros ($36.1 million), down from 49.2 million euros ($57.6 million) a year earlier. Valneva attributed part of the decline to a planned reduction in third-party sales and weaker demand for travel vaccines driven by geopolitical uncertainty.
As a result, the company lowered its 2026 product sales outlook from a projected range of 145 million to 160 million euros to a revised estimate of 135 million to 150 million euros.
Valneva previously underwent restructuring in 2025, when it closed its Nantes, France facility and consolidated operations in Lyon, a move that resulted in 30 job losses.
Amicus Therapeutics is laying off 58 employees at its Princeton, New Jersey headquarters shortly after being fully integrated into BioMarin Pharmaceutical, according to a WARN filing. The layoffs are scheduled to begin on Aug. 7 and continue through Oct. 30.
A company spokesperson said the workforce reductions are tied directly to the BioMarin acquisition, explaining that the integration process has led to the elimination of overlapping roles across the combined organization.
BioMarin announced its $4.8 billion acquisition of Amicus Therapeutics in December 2025.
Gilead Sciences is carrying out deeper workforce reductions at Arcellx shortly after finalizing its $7.8 billion acquisition of the biotech. According to WARN filings, a total of 192 employees across California and Maryland will be affected, representing the vast majority of Arcellx’s workforce.
The largest portion of the cuts involves 108 employees at Arcellx’s headquarters in Redwood City, California, with layoffs scheduled to take effect on June 30. An additional 84 employees at the company’s Rockville, Maryland location are also being let go, though those reductions will occur over a longer timeline extending from June 30, 2026, through April 30, 2027.
Both WARN notices were dated April 30, just two days after Gilead confirmed completion of the acquisition, which officially made Arcellx a wholly owned subsidiary of the company.
Novartis plans to shut down its production facility in Wehr, Germany, by the end of 2028, a decision expected to affect approximately 220 employees. The company announced the closure on May 5, citing declining competitiveness at the site.
The Wehr facility manufactures solid oral dosage products, including tablets and capsules, primarily for established Novartis medicines. Despite the closure, the Swiss pharmaceutical company emphasized that it continues to view Germany as an important strategic market and operational base.
At the same time, Novartis is investing around 35 million euros (roughly $41 million) into a new radioligand therapy manufacturing facility in Halle, Germany. The site is expected to support production of personalized cancer treatments and is projected to begin operations in 2027.
Following its $7.8 billion acquisition of Arcellx, Gilead Sciences is laying off 108 employees at the biotech’s Redwood City, California headquarters, according to a WARN filing. The layoffs are set to take effect on June 30.
Arcellx had 220 employees as of March 1, meaning Gilead’s cuts will reduce nearly half of the biotech’s workforce. The companies have been partners since December 2022, when Gilead invested $225 million upfront and $100 million in equity to support Arcellx’s late-stage CAR T therapy, anito-cel, for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, with potential milestone payments up to $3.9 billion.
BioNTech is planning to close multiple manufacturing sites by the end of next year, a move expected to impact approximately 1,860 employees. The closures include three German facilities in Idar-Oberstein, Marburg and Tübingen, as well as a facility in Singapore, which is slated to wind down by the first quarter of next year.
The company is consolidating operations at sites where production capacity will be underutilized within the next 24 months. BioNTech is also exploring divestment options for these facilities, including partial or complete sales, as part of its strategy to optimize the manufacturing network, CFO Ramón Zapata explained during the May 5 first-quarter earnings call.
Passage Bio is significantly downsizing its workforce after the FDA indicated that a randomized controlled study will be required for the future registrational trial of its lead candidate, PBFT02. The Philadelphia-based biotech disclosed that it plans to reduce approximately 75% of its staff in an effort to lower operating expenses.
According to the company’s latest annual report, Passage Bio employed 24 people as of Dec. 31, suggesting that around 18 positions could be affected. The company expects the majority of the layoffs to take place during the second and third quarters of the year.
Passage Bio develops genetic medicines for neurodegenerative disorders. In an April 20 update, the company said the FDA rejected its proposal for a single-arm registrational trial for PBFT02 in frontotemporal dementia with granulin mutations (FTD-GRN), instead requiring a randomized controlled trial design.
The biotech estimates that severance and related restructuring costs will total approximately $3.3 million.
Reckitt Benckiser is reducing headcount at its Nutley, New Jersey office, where 57 employees are expected to be affected, according to a WARN filing. The layoffs began in March and are scheduled to continue through March of next year.
The workforce reduction comes after the company reported a 0.9% decline in first-quarter sales across North America. Earlier this year, Reckitt also cut 62 positions at its Parsippany, New Jersey site, with those layoffs continuing through August.
The U.K.-based consumer health company is known for products including Mucinex, Strepsils and Nurofen.
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