Novartis cutting more jobs at East Hanover HQ

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The basics:

• Novartis will eliminate 76 more positions at US HQ in East Hanover
• Cuts tied to ongoing global restructuring plan
• Company investing billions in domestic manufacturing
• Drugmaker pursuing acquisitions, new therapies

Novartis is planning further cuts at its U.S. headquarters in New Jersey as part of an ongoing restructuring effort.

In a filing with the state Department of Labor & Workforce Development, the Swiss pharmaceutical giant reported it will eliminate 76 positions at its East Hanover base in August.

This marks the third time in 2026 that Novartis will slim down its New Jersey operations.

In March, the drugmaker said it planned 114 job cuts between June 26 and Nov. 27. Last month, Novartis announced it would let go of 60 employees between July 24 and Nov. 20.

A spokesperson for Novartis did not immediately respond to a request for comment. However, in a statement to Fierce Biotech, the company said it is trimming positions within its biomedical research arm. “While this was a strategic decision, we recognize this is difficult news for those affected, and we remain committed to treating our colleagues with fairness, respect, and care,” Novartis told the news outlet.

Restructuring plan

As of December 2025, Novartis’ biomedical research department had about 5,720 full-time scientists, physicians and business professionals, according to the company’s annual report.

Those staffers are spread across Novartis sites in Switzerland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and California. The company has not yet disclosed if any layoffs will occur within its other U.S. biomedical research operations.

Since unveiling its 2022 restructuring plan, Novartis has cut more than 1,000 jobs in New Jersey over multiple waves as it works to reshape its U.S. business. The company has said it ultimately expects to phase out approximately 8,000 positions globally – or about 7% of its global workforce.

Novartis also recently said it will cut about 220 jobs in Germany as part of a planned closure of an 83-year-old production site by the end of 2028, Reuters reported. According to the news outlet, the plant makes older drugs in its portfolio that come in traditional solid oral dosage forms like tablets and capsules.

The company also said it is investing about $40 billion to build a new facility in eastern Germany that will specialize in radioligand therapies. The site is expected to begin operations in 2027.

Building up

At the same time, Novartis is also focusing on manufacturing, innovation and new therapies.

The company recently reported progress on its April 2025 commitment to invest $23 billion over the next five years to boost U.S.-based manufacturing, research and development.

According to the company, development is underway on several new facilities that will support its goal of producing 100% of key medicines domestically. Novartis expects to create more than 1,000 new positions for skilled workers, such as scientists and engineers, along with an additional 4,000 jobs for support staff and construction overall.

The investment comes as Novartis prepares for patent expirations of heart medicine Entresto and plaque psoriasis biologic Cosentyx. Earlier this year, the company warned that profits would decline as some of its best-selling drugs lose their protections. In a bid to offset the losses, Novartis is planning a series of acquisitions.

In March, the company revealed it shell out up to $2 billion to acquire California-based biotech Excellergy. As part of the deal, Novartis will add an early-stage drug candidate to its existing allergy portfolio. That news came days after Novartis announced plans to acquire Synnovation subsidiary Pikavation Therapeutics. It will pay up to $3 billion for that deal to secure the rights to an experimental breast cancer drug.