Biotechnology company Amgen plans to lay off 350 workers at Horizon Therapeutics, most of whom work in Deerfield, following Amgen’s acquisition of the drug company less than three weeks ago. As of late last year, Horizon had about 2,000 workers globally, including about 600 in its Deerfield offices, which were the company’s U.S. headquarters. Amgen acquired Horizon on Oct. 6, in a $27.8 billion deal. Amgen said in a statement that about 80% of Horizon’s workers will be placed into jobs at Amgen.
The 350 who are being laid off are losing their jobs largely because of “overlap with existing teams at Amgen,” Amgen said in the statement. Workers’ last days will be throughout 2024, with no jobs being terminated before Dec. 30 of this year. “We do not take these decisions lightly, and we appreciate the contributions of those employees being impacted,” Amgen said in the statement. “We will treat them with respect and offer support through the process.