Global Top Pharma Companies Undergoing Major Reshuffling! Over 10,000 Employees Laid Off Last Year!

According to Insight’s data, the global pharmaceutical companies’ 2025 revenue Top 15 list has been released. Johnson & Johnson topped the list with an absolute revenue of $94.193 billion; Roche ranked second with $74.367 billion—still significantly ahead of Eli Lilly in third place ($65.179 billion). The gaps narrow thereafter: Merck & Co. came fourth with $65.011 billion. J&J’s revenue is already more than double that of Novo Nordisk ($46.85 billion)—truly remarkable! In addition to reporting revenues, major pharma companies also disclosed changes in headcount in their financial statements—and several carried out large-scale layoffs! Novo Nordisk: Largest headcount reduction—approximately 9,000 employees (an 11% cut), primarily driven by GLP-1 production overcapacity and intensifying competition. Merck & Co.: Cut 6,000 employees (8% reduction), citing shifting vaccine demand and the need to reduce costs. Pfizer: Also cut 6,000 employees (7% reduction); this marks its second consecutive year of large-scale layoffs.

The Make-or-Break Year 2026: Some Players Exit, Others Enter

For most biotech companies lacking commercialized products—and relying entirely on pipeline expectations—the failure of a core pipeline candidate effectively shatters their most critical financing narrative. Cash reserves dwindle rapidly, new funding falls through, yet the story must go on—making layoffs their only viable means of stemming the bleeding. TONACEA 03 Contraction and Restructuring Among Big Pharma Small companies resort to layoffs for temporary relief—but even industry giants are buckling under pressure. One of the recent industry’s largest personnel and asset restructuring events is CRO giant Evotec’s newly announced ‘Horizon’ deep-restructuring plan, which aims to cut approximately 800 jobs—about one-sixth of its global workforce—and close four major sites worldwide. According to company disclosures, Evotec currently employs roughly 4,800 people globally. Between March 2024 and June 2025, it had already laid off 600 employees—exceeding its original target of 400—and reduced its global R&D and office sites from 19 to 14. Under the Horizon plan, its total number of global facilities will shrink further to 10, with confirmed closures of R&D and operations bases in Framingham, Massachusetts (USA); Lyon (France); and Abingdon (UK). The first wave of Horizon’s adjustments is expected to yield results in the second half of 2026, with the overall plan slated for near-completion by end-2027. Although the 2026–2028 restructuring period will incur approximately €100 million in cash expenditures and non-cash asset impairments, the company anticipates annual operational cost savings of around €75 million by end-2027. By comparison, Amgen’s layoff move has been relatively low-key. Per a WARN notice filed in Maryland, the company will cut 22 employees from Horizon Therapeutics—a rare-disease firm it acquired in 2023 for $27.8 billion—by early May. This integration and optimization effort is described as aligning organizational structure with research strategy “to better serve patients.” Evotec’s and Amgen’s moves are merely ripples within the broader global pharmaceutical industry’s wave of layoffs. Looking back, Pfizer, Novo Nordisk, Merck & Co., and Takeda—among other NMCs—have long resorted to layoffs to weather industry downturns and business crises. Pfizer launched its ‘Cost Optimization Program’ in 2023 and, by end-2025, had laid off over 6,000 employees—reducing its global headcount from 81,000 to 75,000. It aims to save $7.7 billion cumulatively by 2027, while shuttering 10 underperforming manufacturing plants. These measures follow steep declines in COVID-19 vaccine and oral antiviral revenues—causing its 2025 total revenue to drop 2% year-on-year. Management openly stated growth recovery won’t occur until 2029–2030. Novo Nordisk announced a global layoff of 9,000 employees (11.5% of its workforce) in September 2025—including 5,000 in Denmark alone—with the goal of saving DKK 8 billion annually by end-2026 and concentrating resources on diabetes and obesity—the two fastest-growing therapeutic areas. Merck & Co. launched a $3-billion cost-cutting initiative in August 2025, cutting 6,000 employees (8% of its workforce), closing its London R&D center, and laying off over 150 staff at its U.S. vaccine facility in 2026—even halting HPV vaccine production—to redirect investment toward oncology and other core pipelines.

Pfizer to cut around 330 jobs in Italy

16 hours ago

Pfizer plans to cut around 330 jobs at its Sicily plant following unsuccessful talks with Italy's industry ministry. Further negotiations are scheduled for November after a ministerial visit on October 23.

reuters

2026-10-07

Pfizer to cut around 330 jobs in Italy

Pfizer to cut around 330 jobs in Italy

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