We really didn’t want to have to create another Layoff Tracker this year. But here we are, launching the third annual iteration tracking industry layoffs. Last year, we tallied 187 total layoffs among biotech companies, a 57% jump compared to 119 in 2022. We hope that trend reverses itself in 2024. As always, if you know of a layoff occurring at a biotech, please reach out to the Fierce Biotech editorial team and let us know. January—5 companies January 5 – Senti Bio: The cell and gene therapy biotech is cutting its workforce down by 37% and prioritizing resources on SENTI-202, an off-the-shelf CAR-NK candidate being tested for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia and other hematologic malignancies in a phase 1 clinical trial, with the first patient expected to be dosed in the second quarter of this year. Release January 5 – AlloVir: Less than a month after suffering a triple phase 3 failure, the allogeneic T cell immunotherapy biotech is cutting 95% of its workforce. The cuts are expected to take place mostly in the first quarter of this year and finish up by Apr. 15. Story January 4 – Aera Therapeutics: The genetic medicine company has laid off a quarter of its staff. The biotech only just emerged from stealth a year ago in February 2023 with $193 million. Story January 4 – Intellia Therapeutics: The CRISPR company is laying off 15% of its team after pausing exploratory research work. Story January 4 – Pfizer: The Big Pharma’s vaccine R&D site in Pearl River, NY is expecting to lay off 285 employees starting in February, according to a New York WARN notice. The spot is one of Pfizer’s nine major R&D sites and currently employs 1,012 workers. The layoff wave is set to conclude by March 25. Release
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