Novartis isn't done restructuring: Another 322 jobs go in fourth layoff round

Novartis has announced another 322 job cuts at its US headquarters in East Hanover, New Jersey, marking the fourth round of layoffs at the site in five months as the pharmaceutical giant continues a broad organisational restructuring.

According to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act filing with the state of New Jersey, the latest layoffs will take effect on 2 October, taking the total number of planned job cuts at the East Hanover campus to 572 this year.

The latest workforce reduction comes as Novartis reorganises parts of its commercial business while adapting to changing market conditions and patent expiries affecting key medicines.

Commercial functions face the latest workforce changes

In a statement reported by Fierce Pharma, a Novartis spokesperson said the company is making changes across its field sales, patient support and marketing organisations.

The spokesperson said the restructuring is intended to "enhance operational efficiency and ensure we are investing resources where they can have the greatest impact."

The company added it "continually evaluates opportunities to align our organisation with evolving patient, customer and business needs", resulting in some roles being affected.

The latest announcement represents the largest of four workforce reductions disclosed for the East Hanover site over the past five months.

Four rounds of layoffs in five months

The latest cuts follow a series of restructuring announcements during 2026.

According to WARN filings and previous company statements, the East Hanover site has seen:

• 322 positions eliminated in the latest round, effective 2 October
• 114 roles cut in March, linked to changes within the rare disease sales organisation
• 76 positions eliminated in May as part of a reduction in the company's biomedical research division
• 60 additional roles cut weeks later following changes to US field sales teams across Oncology, Rheumatology, Dermatology and Neuroscience

Combined, the four rounds account for 572 planned job losses at the New Jersey headquarters.

Patent expiries continue to reshape the business

The restructuring comes as Novartis continues to navigate the commercial impact of losing market exclusivity for several medicines.

Earlier this year, the company said it was reorganising sales teams supporting rare disease medicines, including Tasigna, used to treat chronic myeloid leukaemia, and Promacta, a platelet-stimulating therapy. Both medicines are losing patent protection during 2026.

The company is also managing the impact of the loss of exclusivity (LOE) for its blockbuster heart failure medicine Entresto, which began last July.

According to figures reported by Fierce Pharma, Entresto generated $1.3 billion in first-quarter revenue this year, down from $2.3 billion in the corresponding period of 2025.

The decline contributed to a 1% fall in Novartis' overall first-quarter sales, following revenue growth of 12% in 2024 and 8% in 2025.

The company had also announced 427 job cuts in March 2025, citing the approaching loss of exclusivity for Entresto.

A restructuring strategy several years in the making

The latest layoffs form part of a broader transformation programme that has been underway for several years.

Since 2022, Novartis has been simplifying its operating model after combining its oncology and pharmaceuticals businesses into a single Innovative Medicines organisation, managed through geographic regions.

The company has continued to adjust commercial teams, research operations and field organisations as it aligns resources with changing product portfolios and business priorities.

With the latest WARN filing, the restructuring at the East Hanover headquarters remains active, signalling that Novartis is continuing to reshape its workforce as it responds to evolving commercial and operational demands.