RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – Drug giant Biogen is making layoffs among its patient support staff in Raleigh, citing delays in patient access to its recently approved Alzheimer’s drug as well as advances in what it calls “new technologies.”
How many people are being affected was not disclosed.
However, one person who alerted WRAL News about the cuts ahead of the company’s confirmation early Wednesday said “hundreds” of people were affected.
Also, a report at TheLayoff.com, a web site that tracks job cuts, said Biogen was cutting 200 jobs.
Biogen has invested heavily in expanding its drug research and production facilities in RTP, and the company continues to hire.
“Biogen has dozens of job postings in RTP and is still actively recruiting,” the spokesperson said.
The company has more than 1,400 employees in the Triangle, according to The Book of Lists published by the Triangle Business Journal.
Media reports such as from from medical industry news service Stat News have indicated that Biogen has been hurt financially by the rollout of Aduhelm, which was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in June.
Biogen, which is based in Cambridge, Mass., might have to make cost custs as a result of slow sales, Stat reported in September.
At a healthcare industry event, Biogen CEO Michel Vounatsos said there’s “clearly too much confusion, misinformation and controversy surrounding our data and the approval process,” Stat quoted him as saying and as cited by FirecePharma.com.
The drug has an annual price of $56,000, according to Bloomberg news.
In the statement about the layoffs, the spokesperson explained:
“Biogen is making changes to its Patient Services organization in Raleigh, North Carolina to re-allocate resources due to the delay in Aduhelm’s patient access and ongoing efficiencies gained through new technologies.”
Affected employees will receive a severance package and transition services, the company noted.
“Biogen continues to invest in our Patient Services capabilities to assist patients and healthcare providers to deliver a high-quality patient and customer experience,” the spokesperson explained.
