APRIL 10, 2024 — UPCOMING BLOODBATH?
The company has announced that it plans to cut up to 680 jobs in its development organization, which helps bring its drugs to market, including up to 240 in the United States over the next two to three years.
The company noted that the job cuts are separate from its restructuring program, which targets up to 8,000 of Novartis’s 78,000 global workforce.
According to the company, "We remain committed to development in Switzerland as our innovation hub for complex development and providing strategic leadership as the global headquarters for development. The U.S. remains a key development hub with strong representation in our global program teams, responsible for advancing our medicines pipeline."
AUGUST 23, 2023 — 103 NEW JERSEY HQ LAYOFFS
Novartis plans to lay off 103 clinical operations employees at its headquarters in East Hanover, New Jersey, starting in November 2023.
According to a spokesperson, “The restructuring will enable consistency and coordination across geographies and addresses an industry-wide trend of increasing lifecycle and trial costs in developing new medicines.”
DECEMBER 21, 2022 — 285 LAYOFFS IN NEW JERSEY
Novartis has announced plans to lay off 285 employees at its East Hanover, New Jersey, headquarters commencing on January 28, 2023, as part of its previously announced restructuring plan.
According to a company spokesperson, “The new structure will be a leaner organizational model that is aligned with our focused strategy and will support innovation, growth and productivity,” a Novartis spokesperson told NJBIZ.
“We recognize the impact these changes have on our people. The company is offering support for impacted associates, including outplacement services and career counseling, as well as support finding new roles within the company. All impacted associates were notified earlier this year and are receiving enhanced severance packages.”
NOVEMBER 5, 2022 — LIBERTYVILLE, ILLINOIS FACILITY CLOSING WITH 275 LAYOFFS
Novartis has announced that will be closing its gene therapy manufacturing facility in Libertyville, Illinois, and laying off 275 employees.
According to a company statement, "Following a comprehensive manufacturing site network evaluation, Novartis made the difficult decision to cease operations at the gene therapies manufacturing facility" in Libertyville. However, our most recent network assessment -- along with clarified demand expectations and higher yields through process improvements -- show that we can meet current and anticipated global demand for Zolgensma and future gene therapies through a single site.”
"Consolidating our manufacturing footprint will enable us to focus additional resources toward progressing our pipeline to deliver innovative medicines to patients in other rare disease communities."
SEPTEMBER 5, 2022 — 250 LAYOFFS, JOBS OUTSOURCED TO INDIA
The company’s latest U.S. layoffs will occur in East Hanover, New Jersey, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and other locations as the company consolidates its data operations in India.
The layoffs will impact approximately 250 layoffs, mainly in New Jersey.
AUGUST 13, 2022 — LAYOFF PLANS CONFIRMED, SANDOZ AT RISK FOR DIVESTMENT
The company has announced that its restructuring plans should be in place by the end of 2022.
According to a company spokesperson, “As a broad range, we expect a number in the single digit thousands of roles across the company would be impacted by these changes. This will be subject to consultation with works councils and subject to the finalization of the full organizational structure."
“Novartis is reviewing options for its generics unit Sandoz. The company hasn't decided whether to keep the business or spin it off.”
JUNE 29, 2022 — 8,000 JOBS IN PERIL WORLDWIDE
Novartis Chief Executive Vas Narasimhana’s previously announced restructuring program could lead to 8,000 jobs being cut, or about 7.4% of its global workforce, including up to 1,400 in Switzerland.
“This restructuring could potentially impact 1,400 positions based in Switzerland out of around 8,000 positions impacted globally. The new structure would be implemented over the next months. The company will complete its review of Sandoz by year-end.”
APRIL 13, 2022 — WARNING: GLOBAL RESTRUCTURING AND JOB LOSS
Novartis is planning a major restructuring to simplify its structure which will impact thousands of jobs worldwide.
A company spokesperson noted that “efficiencies would come through leaner structures and would inevitably lead to roles being impacted."
JUNE 16, 2016 — 186 EMPLOYEES SUPPORTING AIMOVIG TO BE LAID OFF.
Novartis announced that they will be handing over sales, marketing, and medical support functions for migraine drug Aimovig to Amgen.
This will impact 186 Novartis employees supporting Aimovig commencing in September.
This will include remote workers that report to Novartis' U.S. headquarters in East Hanover, New Jersey.
According to a Novartis spokesperson, the restructuring will "enhance operational efficiencies in the increasingly competitive migraine space."
MARCH 25, 2021 — LONGMONT, COLORADO FACILITY CLOSING, 400 LAYOFFS
The company has announced that it will be closing its 692,000-square-foot 6-building manufacturing complex in Longmont, Colorado by July 9, 2021. The closure will impact 400 employees.
The facility’s main product was Zolgensma, which is approved to treat children less than 2 years old with spinal muscular atrophy.
Manufacturing operations will be transferred to the company’s facilities in Libertyville, Illinois, and Durham, North Carolina.
According to a company spokesperson, “We now know that we can fulfill our long-term demand, including for patients who may benefit from our next wave of gene therapies, with two commercial sites coupled with the technical development capabilities at our San Diego site, as well as our extensive network of external partners.”
JULY 17, 2018 — Original post…
Basel, Switzerland-based Novartis International, a multinational pharmaceutical company, has decided to end some of its research projects in Emeryville, California leading to the layoffs of approximately 140 employees engaged in early-stage anti-bacterial and anti-viral research.
The decision to curtail costs and restructure operations in this more challenging pharmaceutical environment is to be expected. A Novartis spokesperson noted, “While the science for these programs is compelling, we have decided to prioritize our resources in other areas where we believe we are better positioned to develop innovative medicine that will have a positive impact for patients. The need for these types of medicines is clear and to maximize the changes that these programs will one day help patients, we are actively engaged in out-licensing discussions with companies focused on developing medicines in these areas.”
One can understand the company’s reluctance to invest in expensive anti-bacterial pharmaceuticals that may be rendered ineffective by the so-called drug-resistant superbugs that seem to be emerging with some regularity. Other major players in the anti-bacterial space like AstraZeneca and Eli Lilly have also curtailed their research and development programs in the past few years.
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. 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?
