Biotech layoff tracker 2026 shows Clinuvel cuts 20% staff, Novartis sheds 322 US jobs

Fierce Biotech released its fifth annual layoff tracker for 2026, noting that workforce reductions continue to rise in the sector after a year of increasing cuts.

The July update lists two companies with announced layoffs. Australian biopharma Clinuvel is relocating its headquarters to the United States and will retain only about 80% of its staff, effectively cutting roughly one-fifth of its workforce. In the United States, Novartis announced that 322 employees at its East Hanover, New Jersey headquarters will be let go, primarily affecting field sales, patient support and marketing teams.

Genentech, a Roche subsidiary, also disclosed a restructuring of its early-development group, following a similar announcement in June. The tracker excludes layoff rounds that are part of previously announced reorganizations, focusing on new reductions.