NO LOVE AT SANOFI (04/14/24)

APRIL 14, 2024 — 100 SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO EMPLOYEES TARGETED

Sanofi is planning to shut down its former acquisition, Amunix Pharmaceuticals, located in South San Francisco, California, and lay off its 100 employees between early June through mid-September 2024.

According to a company spokesperson, "This new step involves making strong decisions for the future of our company.”

JULY 24, 2022 — 400 LAYOFFS IN SALES TEAMS

The company has announced that it will be laying off 400 employees from its diabetes and cardiovascular sales team.

According to a company spokesperson, “The reorganization will enable us to continue to adapt to the ever-changing market, and allow us to focus on our recent launches while setting us up for success in the future."

SEPTEMBER 15, 2021 — 38 SAN FRANCISCO LAYOFFS

Sanofi has announced the wind-down of Principia Biopharma’s San Francisco, California laboratories and lay off 38 employees on October 8, 2021.  The facility will be the site will be permanently vacated by April 2022.

According to a company spokesperson, “This was a difficult decision, and we plan to undertake this process responsibly and assist our employees with this transition.”

JULY 18, 2019 — STEALTH LAYOFFS?

It appears that the company is reducing its U.S. headcount — with hundreds of jobs at risk.

Preparatory to layoffs, the company is executing its VEEP strategy.

According to a company spokesperson, “Sanofi US offered a Voluntary Early Exit Program (VEEP) for eligible employees across our organization. We are not disclosing the number of employees who accepted VEEP. As we’ve discussed on our earnings calls, Sanofi has returned to growth and with that, we are continuing to focus on strategically aligning our operations and expenses to be able to invest in key R&D programs that will deliver important new medicines for patients.”

FEBRUARY 9, 2018 — Original Post…

Sanofi, based in France and one of the world's largest multinational pharmaceutical companies in the world, has announced a new round of layoffs in its continuing restructuring program to meet competitive pressures.

Published reports indicate that the new round of workforce adjustments will result in at least 400 layoffs in their United States sales force, mostly involved with Sanofi’s diabetes and cardiovascular products.

It is no secret that drug-makers are being subject to expiring protections on lucrative proprietary drugs, bio-similar compounds, and competitive purchasing pressures from distributors who are kicking back incentives to large institutions. In addition, most drug manufacturers are reducing their direct-to-physician contracts in favor of advertising using both mainstream media and internet channels aimed at a targeted audience.

Of course, the company was quick to employ corporate-speak, using spokesperson  Ashleigh Koss to explain that the reduction in force will "enable us to continue to adapt to the ever-changing market, and allow us to focus on our recent launches while setting us up for success in the future.” She could have easily added, “move along, nothing new to see here folks.”

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?

AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT MERCK (08/01/25)

AUGUST 1, 2025 — 6,000 EMPLOYEES TARGETED

The company has announced a $3 billion, multi-year cost-saving plan that will result in an 8% reduction in its global workforce.

The reduction initiative will impact 6,000 employees in administrative, sales, and research-and-development roles.

CEO Robert Davis noted, The restructuring program at Merck will help to redirect investment and resources from more mature areas of our business to our burgeoning array of new growth drivers. The company will continue to optimize its manufacturing network by aligning the geography of its global operations with its customers, consistently evaluating its manufacturing to ensure medicines and vaccines are produced and distributed close to the communities and patients it serves."

MARCH 23, 2025 — 163 PENNSYLVANIA EMPLOYEES

Merck announced that 163 employees were being laid off in three phases at the company’s Riverside, Pennsylvania, Cherokee manufacturing facility.

According to a company statement, “Merck remains committed to Pennsylvania and employs approximately 14,000 people in the state. The company has invested over $3 billion to date in our Pennsylvania operations manufacturing medicines and vaccines that help save and improve lives around the world.”

JANUARY 23, 2023 — 133 LAYOFFS

Merck announced that 133 employees were being laid off at the company’s Billerica, Massachusetts, research and development facility.

According to a company spokesperson, “We will keep our strong research unit footprints for neuroscience and immunology and oncology, focusing on selected biological areas and scientific capabilities. The cuts represent a 26% reduction to the Billerica staff, which has roughly 500 employees.”  

JULY 10, 2022 — 500 LAYOFFS NATIONWIDE

The company is engaged in a cost-cutting initiative to free-up capital for more innovative projects. A company spokesperson commented, “Merck is eliminating 500 positions nationwide in select sales and headquarters commercial teams, effective January 3, 2023.

MARCH 29, 2022 — 170 ACCELERON LAYOFFS

After completing its November 2022, acquisition of Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Acceleron Pharma, the company has announced that it will be laying off 170 former Acceleron employees scheduled between May 31, 2022 – November 18, 2022.

According to a company spokesperson, "These actions are in alignment with our overall strategy of integrating the two companies. Currently, there are no further plans for company-wide restructuring or layoffs."

OCTOBER 17, 2019 UPDATE — MASS LAYOFF IN HUMAN HEALTH DIVISION’S SALES DEPARTMENT

The company has announced that it will be laying off 500 employees, mostly field sales representatives and administrative people in the Human Health Division based in Lansdale and North Wales, Pennsylvania in what the company characterizes as a permanent “reduction in force” commencing on January 3, 2020. This includes employees outside of the Pennsylvania field headquarters.

OCTOBER 23, 2017 — Previous post…

It appears that Kenilworth, New Jersey-based Merck & Company will be following other pharmaceutical companies such as Eli Lilly (3,500 layoffs) and Teva (7,000 layoffs)  in reorganizing and realigning their core functionality and personnel. Merck will reduce their labor force by approximately 1,800 workers, primarily in sales and who serve as drug detail representatives to primary-care doctors, endocrinologists, and hospitals. 

Gone are the days of exclusive-to-physician marketing and the past practice of attempting to influence individual prescribers with samples and brand reminders such as golf balls and other tchotchkes. Or allowing the high-prescribers to fulfill their CEU (Continuing Education Credits) at high-end resorts. Not to mention paying “honoraria” for sponsored speaking events. Now, with the advent of the internet and interactive media, we can see more targeted marketing of so-called associative ads. Drugs are marketed directly to consumers with the benefit of the constant repetition of the horrendous potential side effects dulling the perception of prescription dangers. It is not uncommon for patients to research their conditions and symptoms on the internet and request (or demand) certain therapies or branded drugs from their attending physicians.

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?