Roche\u2019s Genentech unit is laying off staff at its Bay Area headquarters for at least the third time this year, saying goodbye to 118 employees in a workforce reduction that spans multiple departments.<\/p>\n
The layoffs were reported in a California Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) filing<\/a> Oct. 27 and confirmed to Fierce by a company spokesperson. The staff reduction will be completed by Nov. 28, according to the WARN report.<\/p>\n \u201cWe consistently evaluate all facets of our operations to ensure we remain well-positioned to meet patients\u2019 evolving needs today while continuing to deliver innovative new medicines in the future,\u201d Genentech said in a statement to Fierce. \u201cAs part of these ongoing evaluations, we identified the need to reduce 118 positions across several departments.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhile we expect the overall number of employees to remain broadly stable in 2025, changes may occur across individual departments,\u201d the company said. \u201cIn some areas, this creates new opportunities and growth, while in others it requires adaptation.\u201d<\/p>\n Genentech\u2019s stated reasoning matches that given for a similar layoff round announced at the end of May, when the Roche subsidiary let go of 143 staffers<\/a> at its South San Francisco HQ. Both then and now, Genentech did not respond to Fierce\u2019s questions regarding the specific roles affected.<\/p>\n The Roche unit also did not respond to questions about whether any pipeline programs are impacted by the cuts or whether future layoffs are planned.<\/p>\n The company followed up the May cuts with a slightly smaller round in July, laying off 87 employees at the same location, listed as 1 DNA Way<\/a>.<\/p>\n Last year was also a period of upheaval for Genentech employees. The company announced in April 2024 that it was laying off 436 people, about 3% of its staff, across \u201cseveral departments,\u201d which was followed by the August closure<\/a> of its cancer immunology research department and another 93 layoffs<\/a> at the South San Francisco site.<\/p>\n Genentech has also been shaking up its partnerships in recent months. The biotech rode away<\/a> from an oncology R&D pact with Bicycle Therapeutics in July and tore up a cell therapy deal<\/a> with Adaptive Biotechnologies in August that was potentially worth as much as $2 billion.<\/p>\n