South San Francisco, Calif.-based biotech company Genentech reported to the California Employment Development Department that it will soon lay off 474 employees, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
A company spokesperson told the San Francisco Chronicle the layoffs are unrelated to the pandemic or the clinical trials the drugmaker is conducting to test arthritis drug Actemra's ability to treat COVID-19.
"The success of our business depends on our ability to continually evaluate, evolve and manage our operations in the best interests of the customers and patients we serve," the spokesperson said, adding that Genentech is "transitioning from a national strategy and organizational model to one focused around local health care ecosystems.”
The largest position category to be eliminated is senior clinical specialists, with 116 positions slashed.
Genentech told state regulators that most of the employees being laid off will work their last day Sept. 18, but some will leave in August and October.