Novartis has announced plans to cut approximately 130 jobs in Switzerland as it restructures laboratory and production activities at its Kleinbasel site in Basel.
The Swiss pharmaceutical giant confirmed it will transfer several key laboratory functions from Kleinbasel to its main campus on the opposite bank of the Rhine by the end of 2028.
Activities earmarked for relocation include laboratories for biological cell banks, analytical testing procedures, and technical development operations currently based at the Kleinbasel facility.
Novartis will also cease small-scale biologics production at the Kleinbasel site by the end of 2027, as part of a previously planned operational restructuring.
The company said it intends to move those manufacturing activities to other existing biologics drug substance sites within its wider European manufacturing network.
Around 200 people are currently employed at the Kleinbasel site, meaning the proposed cuts would affect a significant proportion of that workforce.
The decision to consolidate operations is partly driven by the expiration of individual leases at the Kleinbasel location, which are set to run out in 2029.
Novartis first announced plans for a biologics technical development centre on its main Basel campus back in 2022, and the latest move represents the next step in that strategy.
The new centre is intended to complement the existing research centre for biologics already established on the main Novartis campus in Basel.
Novartis confirmed that all planned changes remain subject to the formal information and consultation process with affected employees and relevant stakeholders.
The company said it is committed to supporting those impacted by the restructuring, with measures including a long-term social plan designed to assist affected workers through the transition.