As part of an ongoing restructuring effort, Sanofi ($SNY) is shuttering Genzyme's Cambridge, U.K., R&D operation by the end of the year. The move comes after Sanofi's $20 billion acquisition of the biotechnology giant a year ago.
Up to 60 Genzyme employees will lose their positions, although some could be transferred elsewhere, Cambridge News reports. A Sanofi spokesperson confirmed that the site would shut down by December. However, some operations in Haverhill, U.K., and Oxford will continue.
Genzyme's U.S. operations are also feeling the pain from Sanofi's R&D restructuring. Sanofi acknowledged to FierceBiotech a few weeks ago that it was pursuing layoffs and moving positions in its Boston R&D wing, driven by "synergies that unfortunately make some positions redundant." No details yet as to specific job losses there. But Sanofi is building its Cambridge/Boston R&D operations into one of its most important globally. So while some Genzyme jobs are going, Sanofi is adding Massachusetts R&D and manufacturing positions.
In Europe, those efforts mean the company is consolidating its research operations to centers in Germany, France and Asia, the article notes. Jobs will likely grow in those locations. On the other hand, research groups in Italy and the Netherlands have been told "the bad news," which likely means more job losses in those locations.
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