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news.GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is reportedly planning to cut "several hundred" US sales and research jobs, as part of its global restructuring strategy and cost-saving programme.
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In an emailed statement, a GSK spokesman was quoted by Reuters as saying: "This is a significant programme and will result in the loss of several hundred employees in the US commercial business and a similar number in R&D activities based in the US."
Reports emerged that the company’s 17,000 staff in commercial and research operations in the US have been already told about the company’s redundancy plans and changes.
It is anticipated that around 900 positions to be affected would be from GSK’s Research Triangle Park (RTP) site in North Carolina, US, Philadelphia and in field offices across the country. The company employs 4,500 staff and contractors in RTP, including 2,500 who work in R&D.
In a letter filed with the North Carolina Department of Commerce, GSK was cited by CharlotteObserver.com as saying that it will eliminate about 450 positions in the second quarter of next year, while the remaining will be implemented by the end of 2015.
The spokesman added: "Cuts are not being made across the board but are strategic, focused changes to allow GSK to operate more efficiently.
"This is a rescaling of work to reflect market forces that were anticipated but that have accelerated and are affecting the entire industry."
However, the jobs cuts will not significantly affect the retail sales teams that are focused on launching new medicines, including the employees at GSK’s manufacturing facility in Zebulon, US.