Boehringer Ingelheim has confirmed that the company will cut an additional 244 jobs in the U.S.
The confirmation follows a 720-job cut in the U.S. last summer, with most of the recent job eliminations (three-quarters) coming from the company’s U.S. headquarters in Ridgefield, CT.
The terminated positions include:
- 64 sales positions (nationwide)
- 180 headquarters positions (120 of which were in small-molecule discovery research and 60 in other functions)
According to a report from IN THE PIPELINE, Boehringer Ingelheim stated:
Following a careful examination of our human pharmaceuticals business, we made the difficult decision to reduce approximately 244 additional headcount nationwide since July 1. This includes approximately 120 in small molecule Discovery Research and 60 in other functions located in Connecticut. We have also reduced the size of our sales force by an additional approximately 64 headcount nationwide.
In the statement, Boehringer Ingelheim explains that the company is working to consolidate its small-molecule discovery to “two sites in Biberach, Germany and Vienna, Austria,” thereby creating a “leaner” Discovery Research organization. As a result, Ridgefield, CT and Milan, Italy small-molecule discovery operations will be closed.
Boehringer Ingelheim now looks to invest further in oncology operations, with a focus on cancer immunology.
“A new group will be formed, and led out of Ridgefield beginning in 2017 that will focus on cancer immunology discovery research. This new group will result in approximately 35 new positions in Connecticut,” the company said.
Fierce Pharma reports that these job cuts followed the “elimination of about 900 jobs in the U.S. in 2014.” The drug maker has had to revamp operations following significant drops in company revenue resulting from lost patent protection on its older blockbuster drugs, such as Micardis.
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Filed Under: Drug Discovery
