Biopharma layoffs may exceed 14,000 jobs in H1 as Takeda, BioNTech and Viatris cut staff

Biopharma firms are preparing for a wave of job cuts in the first half of 2026, with total layoffs projected to affect more than 14,000 employees, according to data compiled by BioSpace.

The bulk of the reductions come from three companies. Takeda plans to eliminate roughly 4,700 positions, BioNTech about 1,860 jobs, and Viatris up to 3,000 roles, together accounting for over 9,600 cuts.

Earlier in the year Takeda began trimming staff in its U.S. operations, targeting its neuroscience commercialization teams, and later announced a broader transformation program that could remove around 4,500 workers in the fiscal year. Other firms such as Teva and Bayer have also announced sizable reductions, with Teva targeting nearly 2,900 jobs by 2027 and Bayer having let go of about 3,400 employees under its shared ownership model.