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?

AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT VERILY LIFE SCIENCES

San Francisco, California-based Verily Life Sciences, the life sciences research subsidiary of Alphabet, has announced a restructuring to eliminate some programs and streamline operations that will result in a reduction of 15% of its workforce.

Approximately 200+ employees will be impacted.

Verily’s chief executive officer Stephen Gillett noted, “We are making changes that refine our strategy, prioritize our product portfolio and simplify our operating model. We will advance fewer initiatives with greater resources.”

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 FATE THERAPEUTICS

San Diego, California-based Fate Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development of cellular immunotherapies for cancer patients, has announced a product realignment and reduction in force after the cancellation of a collaboration agreement with Janssen Biotech.

The personnel re-alignment will impact approximately 220 employees.

According to President and Chief Executive Officer Scott Wolchko, “We are disappointed that we were not able to align with Janssen on their proposal for continuation of our collaboration. As a consequence, in keeping with the Company’s commitment to developing disruptive product candidates, programs, and technologies with the potential to address large, unmet clinical needs, we have prioritized our clinical programs and substantially reduced operating expenses, including taking the difficult and painful step of reducing our workforce, to ensure that we have a three-year cash runway."

"We are greatly saddened to move in this direction as our employees have continually demonstrated the highest level of dedication and commitment in pioneering iPSC-derived cell therapy for patients with cancer. I want to extend my deepest appreciation to all of our employees for their tremendous efforts and wish those employees who will be departing great success in the future.”

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?