All entries for: Infectious Diseases

August 6, 2026

Emergent Biosolutions

Layoffs

Gaithersburg, Maryland

501-1,000 employees

“To align resourcing to current needs, Emergent BioSolutions is restructuring its business, a move that includes letting go of 93 employees across the company and eliminating 21 vacant positions. Emergent announced the plans in its second quarter earnings release and provided additional details in a related SEC filing.

The layoffs represent a small number of the company’s overall workforce, which was about 900 employees as of Dec. 31, 2025.

Emergent, which develops and manufactures medicines for diseases including smallpox and makes Narcan, which treats opioid overdoses, did not specify which locations the workforce reduction will affect. However, the announcement noted the closure of wet laboratories in Gaithersburg, Maryland, where the company is based.

The restructuring includes eliminating the role of chief medical officer, head of research and development, pushing Simon Lowry out of Emergent effective Aug. 19. The company is also creating a new “growth organization” that combines research and development, business development and strategy into one function. Stephanie Duatschek will lead that team in her new role as executive vice president, chief growth officer. Previously, she was senior vice president, chief global strategy and franchise development officer.

Emergent expects to incur costs of $10 million to $11.5 million in connection with the restructuring. As of June 30, the company’s capital resources included $139.7 million in cash and cash equivalents.”

Disease Area: Antiviral, Infectious Diseases

Drug Type: Biologic, Small Molecule

Source

August 5, 2026

Pfizer - New York

Layoffs

New York, NY

10,000+ employees

“Pfizer is adding $2.5 billion in cuts to an ongoing restructuring, with much of the new reduction coming from technology and simplification efforts across the New York pharma’s commercial, R&D and manufacturing functions.

The cuts under Pfizer’s Realigning Our Cost Base Program are expected to save $1 billion, the company announced Aug. 4 in its second-quarter earnings release. Most savings will occur between 2027 and 2029, but not for free: the program carries a one-time cost of $2 billion for digital enablement, implementation and severance.

A company spokesperson declined to give further details on how severance will be paid, whether any jobs will be affected, or what technological changes are planned.”

Disease Area: Antiviral, Cardiology, Dermatology, Gastrointestinal, Immune Diseases, Infectious Diseases, Metabolic Diseases, Multiple, Oncology

Drug Type: Biologic, Small Molecule

Source

June 12, 2026

Genentech

Layoffs

South San Francisco, CA

10,000+ employees

Genentech has made changes to its research and early development group (gRED) that include parting ways with a high-profile executive who had been with the company since 1997. The South San Franciso–based biotech confirmed to BioSpace the “targeted adjustments” and departure of Vishva Dixit, who most recently served as vice president and senior fellow, physiological chemistry, research biology.

The restructuring is intended to ensure the Roche subsidiary’s capabilities and investments align with its core therapeutic areas, advance its portfolio and deliver transformative medicines to patients faster, according to Genentech. A spokesperson declined to share specific information about the layoffs, including how many employees were affected.

Endpoints News reported that Genentech is closing infectious disease and physiological chemistry units while downsizing other teams. Also, in addition to Dixit, other key departures include Todd McDevitt, vice president and head of cell therapy, and Man-Wah Tan, a vice president and senior fellow of infectious diseases, the media outlet reported.

Disease Area: Dermatology, Immune Diseases, Infectious Diseases, Multiple, Oncology, Rare Diseases, Respiratory Diseases

Drug Type: Biologic, Small Molecule

Source

June 2, 2026

Merck

Layoffs

Rahway, NJ

10,000+ employees

Merck is again sending employees packing in Rahway, New Jersey. The pharma is laying off 88 employees at its location there effective Sept. 4, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act notice. Last year, Merck disclosed it was letting go of 262 employees in Rahway over two rounds of cuts, one of which took effect this year.

In August 2025, the pharma divulged it was laying off 58 people at that site on Nov. 14. The news came shortly after Merck confirmed that its $3 billion cost-cutting move could affect about 6,000 employees as part of a multiyear process. In November, the pharma disclosed it would let go of 204 staffers in Rahway from Feb. 20 through May 11.

In February 2026, Merck then disclosed in a WARN notice that it would lay off 154 employees in Durham, North Carolina, on May 1.

Disease Area: Cardiovascular, Infectious Diseases, Multiple, Oncology, Respiratory Diseases

Drug Type: Biologic, Small Molecule

Source

May 14, 2026

Valneva

Layoffs

Saint-Herblain, Pays de la Loire

501-1,000 employees

Specialty vaccine maker Valneva will trim its global workforce by 10% to 15% as it focuses resources on its base business and key strategic projects, the biotech announced May 13. The France-based company had 674 employees globally, including 22 in Bethesda, Maryland, as of Dec. 31, according to an SEC filing, meaning the layoffs could affect roughly 67 to 101 people.

Valneva expects the cuts will reduce 2026 operating expenses by 25% to 35% when compared to 2025.

The restructuring comes as the biotech reports a Q1 revenue decline. Total revenue was 30.9 million euros ($36.1 million), down from 49.2 million euros ($57.6 million) in the first quarter of 2025. Valneva attributed the dip in part to a planned winddown of third-party sales. The company also noted it is adjusting down its 2026 sales and revenue guidance in part because of “an emerging adverse trend in travel vaccine uptake across key markets, driven by geopolitical factors.” Valneva is revising the product sales guidance range from between 145 million euros and 160 million euros ($170 million to $187 million) to between 135 million euros and 150 million euros ($158 million to $174 million).

Valneva’s last known restructuring was in 2025. The biotech announced in November it would shutter its Nantes, France, site and consolidate operations in Lyon. That move left 30 employees jobless, a spokesperson told Fierce Biotech at the time.

Disease Area: Infectious Diseases

Drug Type: Biologic

Source

May 13, 2026

Spero Therapeutics, Inc.

Negative Outlook

Cambridge, Massachusetts,

1-50 employees

Accordingly, while it is currently unclear how the IRA will be effectuated, we cannot predict with certainty what impact any federal or state health reforms will have on us, but such changes could impose new or more stringent regulatory requirements on our activities or result in reduced reimbursement for our products, any of which could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Disease Area: Infectious Diseases, Rare Diseases

Drug Type: Biologic

Source

May 11, 2026

AN2 Therapeutics, Inc.

Neutral Outlook

Menlo Park, CA

1-50 employees

It is currently unclear how the IRA will be implemented but is likely to have a significant impact on the pharmaceutical industry.

Disease Area: Infectious Diseases, Rare Diseases

Drug Type: Small Molecule

Source

May 8, 2026

Gildead Sciences

Layoffs

Foster City, CA

10,000+ employees

In the wake of closing its $7.8 billion Arcellx acquisition last week, Gilead Sciences is gutting the biotech’s workforce in California and Maryland, laying off 192 employees total. Given Arcellx had 220 employees as of March 1, according to an SEC filing last month, the cuts are likely wiping out 87% of the staff.

The largest cuts are happening at the biotech’s headquarters in Redwood City, California. Gilead is letting go of 108 employees at that site effective June 30, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) notice. The pharma is also laying off 84 people in Rockville, Maryland. Those cuts are taking place over a longer period, from June 30, 2026, to April 30, 2027, according to a WARN notice.

Both notices were dated April 30, two days after Gilead announced it had completed its acquisition of Arcellx, making the biotech a wholly owned subsidiary.

Disease Area: Antiviral, Immune Diseases, Infectious Diseases, Multiple, Oncology, Rare Diseases

Drug Type: Biologic, Small Molecule

Source

May 7, 2026

Aligos Therapeutics, Inc.

Neutral Outlook

South San Francisco, CA

51-200 employees

The impact of the IRA on us and the pharmaceutical industry cannot yet be fully determined, but is likely to be significant.

Disease Area: Chronic Disease, Infectious Diseases, Metabolic Diseases

Drug Type: Small Molecule

Source

May 6, 2026

Gilead Sciences

Layoffs

Foster City, CA

10,000+ employees

After closing its $7.8 billion takeover of Arcellx last week, Gilead Sciences is now letting go of 108 employees at the biotech’s headquarters in Redwood City, California, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) alert for the state. The layoffs will take effect on June 30.

Arcellx had 220 employees as of March 1, according to a securities filing last month, indicating that Gilead’s cuts will nearly halve the biotech’s workforce.

Gilead and Arcellx are long-time partners. The companies joined hands in December 2022, with the pharma paying $225 million upfront alongside a $100 million equity investment in the biotech. The deal was focused on Arcellx’s late-stage CAR T therapy—the asset that would later be named anito-cel—for the treatment for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. Gilead at the time pledged up to $3.9 billion in milestones.

Disease Area: Antiviral, Immune Diseases, Infectious Diseases, Multiple, Oncology, Rare Diseases

Drug Type: Biologic, Small Molecule

Source