Global Biopharma Layoffs June 2026

ADC Therapeutics

ADC Therapeutics is reducing its workforce by approximately 17% following disappointing clinical results for its blood cancer therapy Zynlonta. Based on the company's year-end headcount of 188 full-time employees and five part-time staff members, the restructuring is expected to affect roughly 32 positions.

The company expects the workforce reduction to generate annual savings of about $10 million, although it anticipates recording approximately $3 million in one-time costs related to severance payments, employee benefits and other restructuring expenses.

The reorganization follows the anticipated completion of the Phase 3 LOTIS-5 and Phase 1b LOTIS-7 studies evaluating Zynlonta. The anti-CD19 antibody-drug conjugate received accelerated approval in 2021 for relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in third-line or later treatment settings, with the LOTIS-5 study intended to confirm the drug's clinical benefit.

However, the trial failed to demonstrate an overall survival advantage for Zynlonta combined with rituximab. Safety concerns also emerged, with 27 deaths reported among patients receiving the combination therapy compared with nine deaths in the control arm. Following the release of these results, ADC Therapeutics' share price declined sharply.

Sangamo Therapeutics

Sangamo Therapeutics is eliminating 51 positions as part of its bankruptcy proceedings, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The workforce reduction represents approximately 40% of the company's employees. Despite the layoffs, Sangamo will retain 77 staff members to support key programs and technology platforms that have attracted stalking horse bids from Eli Lilly and Astellas.

Among the retained assets is a rare disease gene therapy program that is currently advancing through the regulatory submission process and being prepared for FDA review.

Tourmaline Bio

Tourmaline Bio has eliminated 60 positions at its New York headquarters several months after the company was acquired by Novartis. The layoffs were linked to the closure of Tourmaline's facility located at 27 West 24th Street in New York, according to a WARN notice filed with the state.

Although the workforce reductions took effect on May 29, the notice was not publicly posted until the following week. The site closure marks one of the first operational changes following Novartis' acquisition of the company.

Novartis announced plans to acquire Tourmaline in September 2025 in a transaction valued at approximately $1.4 billion on a fully diluted basis. The acquisition was completed in late October.

The pharmaceutical company has continued to reduce its workforce across multiple locations this year. In addition to layoffs affecting employees in New Jersey, Novartis has also announced plans to close a facility in Germany by the end of 2028, while earlier rounds of workforce reductions in March and April impacted more than 170 employees in New Jersey.

enGene Therapeutics

enGene Therapeutics is cutting its workforce by roughly half as part of a cost-saving restructuring aimed at extending its financial runway. Based on its most recent annual report showing 82 full-time employees, the reduction is expected to impact more than 40 positions.

The restructuring also includes the departure of three members of the company's senior leadership team, according to a June 15 announcement. The changes are intended to streamline operations as the company advances toward regulatory milestones for its lead program.

enGene is working toward a Biologics License Application (BLA) submission in the second half of the year for its investigational gene therapy detalimogene voraplasmid, currently being studied in a Phase 1/2 trial for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. The company is also preparing for a potential commercial launch next year.

CEO Ron Cooper said the decision was made to preserve shareholder capital while awaiting additional clinical durability data and regulatory discussions with the FDA, describing the move as a difficult but necessary step to streamline the organization.

Neumora Therapeutics

Neumora Therapeutics is undergoing a significant restructuring after discontinuing its most advanced drug program following two late-stage clinical trial failures. The company is reducing its workforce by about 35% as part of efforts to control costs and refocus its pipeline.

Based on its year-end filing showing 96 employees, the layoffs are expected to affect more than 30 staff members, many of whom are involved in research and development activities.

The restructuring is expected to take place over the second and third quarters of the year and is projected to reduce annual expenses by approximately $10 million.

Genentech

Genentech has implemented targeted changes within its research and early development organization (gRED), including the departure of a long-tenured senior leader who had been with the company since 1997. The South San Francisco–based Roche subsidiary confirmed the restructuring to BioSpace, describing it as a series of “targeted adjustments.”

The company said the changes are designed to better align its R&D investments with core therapeutic areas, accelerate its pipeline, and improve the delivery of new medicines. However, Genentech did not disclose the number of employees impacted by the restructuring.

According to reporting from Endpoints News, the overhaul includes the closure of certain units such as infectious disease and physiological chemistry, along with broader downsizing across multiple teams. The report also noted the departure of several senior figures, including leaders in cell therapy and infectious diseases.

Teva Pharmaceuticals

Teva Pharmaceuticals is planning to reduce its workforce within its active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) division, with around 250 employees expected to be affected over the next two years, according to media reports. The cuts will primarily impact staff in Israel, as reported by domestic outlet Globes.

The API division employs roughly 4,100 people globally, including about 650 in Israel. The restructuring comes amid broader efforts to reshape the unit’s future, following Teva’s January 2024 announcement that it intended to divest the API business in order to better unlock revenue potential across the company.

In October 2025, reports indicated Teva was in advanced discussions to sell the API unit, according to European Pharmaceutical Review. However, those negotiations were later terminated the following month, leaving the unit’s strategic direction uncertain.

Fulcrum Therapeutics

Fulcrum Therapeutics is undertaking a major workforce reduction, eliminating about 85% of its staff following a strategic shift after discontinuing its lead program. According to an SEC filing, the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based biotech will lay off 48 of its 57 employees as part of a restructuring plan approved on May 31.

The company recently halted development of pociredir in sickle cell disease, citing the lack of a viable regulatory pathway. Fulcrum also noted that the FDA had raised concerns about the drug’s benefit-risk profile in that indication, prompting a broader reassessment of its pipeline and business strategy.

The restructuring is expected to be largely completed in the second quarter. Fulcrum estimates it will incur approximately $4.2 million in one-time costs, primarily related to severance and employee benefits.

Merck

Merck is continuing its series of workforce reductions, this time cutting 88 employees at its Rahway, New Jersey site, with layoffs scheduled to take effect on Sept. 4, according to a WARN notice.

The latest move follows a broader pattern of downsizing at the location. In 2025, Merck announced multiple rounds of cuts in Rahway, including 262 roles eliminated across two separate actions, one of which extended into 2026. Additional reductions include 58 employees laid off on Nov. 14 and another 204 staffers impacted between Feb. 20 and May 11.

These workforce adjustments come as part of Merck’s wider cost-saving initiative, first outlined as a $3 billion program expected to impact around 6,000 employees over several years.