Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Merck Plans R&D Layoffs At East Coast Locations
The Wall Street Journal: Merck Cutting Drug Research Jobs At Three East-Coast Sites
Merck & Co. said it plans to lay off research-and-development workers at three East Coast sites in a shake-up of its early-stage drug-hunting efforts that also includes a new focus on the health effects of micro-organisms that populate the human body. A Merck spokeswoman said the job cuts, and some employee transfers, would affect less than 10% of “discovery, preclinical and early development” employees in Kenilworth, N.J., Rahway, N.J., and North Wales, Pa. The company’s headquarters are in Kenilworth. (Loftus, 7/12)
Stat: Merck To Cut 360 R&D Jobs, Close One Facility, And Expand Elsewhere
As the center of gravity shifts in the life sciences, Merck is reorganizing its R&D teams by closing one facility, eliminating about 360 jobs from three sites, and transferring other employees to a pair of new facilities that are slated to open on opposite sides of the country. A spokeswoman for the drug maker, which is headquartered in New Jersey, confirmed that the planned changes affect drug discovery, preclinical, and early development work. As a result, the company is closing a facility in North Wales, Pa., which screens compounds for potential drug development. (Silverman, 7/12)
