AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT ENZO BIOCHEM

Farmingdale, New York-based Enzo Biochem, a biotechnology developer of molecular diagnostics, has announced a major reduction in force as a consequence of selling its Long Island clinical research lab to Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings.

The layoff will impact approximately 50% of the company's workforce or 257 employees, with separations scheduled on July 17, 2023.

According to Hamid Erfanian, CEO of Enzo Biochem, “Completion of the sale will position Enzo to assess and execute on further actions to increase shareholder value and advance our global leadership within the life sciences sector. We are very grateful to all our colleagues who have made Enzo Clinical Labs a trusted source for patient care. With proven expertise in clinical laboratory services and products, Labcorp is perfectly positioned to bring these operations to new levels of momentum and success.”

Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life or promises for a bright future. We see good people being laid off through no fault of their own. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?

AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT EQRX

MAY 10, 2023 — RESET: 170 EMPLOYEES GONE

In what appears to be a massive restructuring of EQRx, the company “announced plans to reset its business.”

Melanie Nallicheri, president and chief executive officer of EQRx…

“Going forward, EQRx will leverage its significant scale of capital and team of experienced ‘drug hunters’ towards developing clinically differentiated, high-value medicines. As part of this business reset, we plan to remove programs from our existing portfolio that are inconsistent with this new vision. Our promising and potentially differentiated early-stage immune-inflammatory programs will be transitioned into a separate entity under EQRx, and we will explore its path as an independent company.”

“We expect that our go-forward streamlined organization will have a significantly lower cash burn, which, when combined with our current $1.3 billion cash position, opens up degrees of freedom to execute against our new strategy.”

The biotech is also cutting ties with two of its partners, letting go of 170 staff members and slashing all assets from its pipeline except one.

APRIL 15, 2023 — Original entry…

Cambridge, Massachusetts-based EQRx, a biotechnology company that once sought to reimagine prescription drug pricing, has announced a further restructuring to conserve cash and improve operational efficiencies.

The restructuring will impact 18% of the company's workforce or 66 employees.

According to CEO Melanie Nallicheri, “Our focus remains on being disciplined with our cash while executing on our priorities and preserving runway into 2028.”

Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life or promises for a bright future. We see good people being laid off through no fault of their own. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?

AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT EMERGENT BIOSOLUTIONS (05/02/24)

MAY 2, 2024 — 300 EMPLOYEE LAYOFFS

The company has announced that it plans to continue its restructuring plan, shut down its Baltimore, Maryland Bayview drug substance manufacturing facility and its Rockville, Maryland drug product facility, and lay off approximately 300 employees companywide.

According to CEO Joe Papa, “Today’s actions are about the future of Emergent. We have put in place a multi-year plan to position Emergent for sustainable and long-term success, and that starts by stabilizing our operations, strengthening our balance sheet, and managing our debt.”

“Decisions like these are never easy as they have a real impact on many of our dedicated colleagues. We are committed to providing resources to those affected as they transition to new opportunities.”

AUGUST 9, 2023 — 400 EMPLOYEE LAYOFFS

The company has announced that it plans to lay off about 400 employees across all businesses and reduce operations at its Bayview facility in Baltimore, Maryland, and the facility in Canton, Massachusetts.

According to a company statement, “The actions we are taking will further strengthen our core products business and financial foundation. This will better align Emergent’s businesses with a focus on our core products and delivering for the needs of our customers. It will provide us with the flexibility to respond to future customer demand while responsibly maintaining manufacturing infrastructure deemed critical to respond to public health threats.”

Emergent will focus on its core products business of medical countermeasures and its overdose reversal nasal spray Narcan away with the chief operating officer role.

JANUARY 27, 2023 — Original post…

Gaithersburg, Maryland-based Emergent BioSolutions, a specialty biopharmaceutical company developing vaccines and antibody therapeutics for infectious diseases and opioid overdoses, has announced an organizational restructuring plan.

The restructuring plan will include a reduction in force impacting approximately 5% of its workforce, or 132 employees.

CEO Bob Kramer noted, "Emergent is taking these steps to strengthen our business, reduce costs and return to sustainable, long-term growth. Decisions like this are never easy. ” he said, adding that the company “will provide resources to help our colleagues successfully transition to new opportunities.”

Emergent is separately transitioning away from its Covid-19 vaccine work, which had included making the drug substance for Johnson & Johnson’s Covid vaccine until that agreement ended last year.

Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life or promises for a bright future. We see good people being laid off through no fault of their own. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?