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WILMINGTON, Del. — AstraZeneca plans to cut more than 1,000 jobs from its U.S. sales force as part of a restructuring program unveiled last year.
The pharmaceutical firm said Wednesday that it aims to eliminate about 1,150 leadership positions and sales representatives, or roughly 24% of its U.S. sales organization. The impact of the job cuts will vary by geography and selling teams, the company added.
"These are difficult decisions that impact valued employees," AstraZeneca U.S. president Rich Fante said in a statement. "The changes we are making, however, will help us deliver better results for our business and, most importantly, continue delivering on our mission of patient health."
Employees will have the option to self-identify to potentially leave the company, AstraZeneca said, adding that all decisions will be finalized by early February.
AstraZeneca noted that the change to the U.S. sales force is incremental to the ongoing second phase of its restructuring program announced in January 2010. A restructuring cost associated with the change, estimated at $50 million to $100 million, will be charged in the fourth quarter, the company said.
