2014年9月11日讯 /生物谷BIOON/ --就在不到两个月之前，美国著名生物医药公司Auxilium公司宣布收购加拿大生物技术公司QLT公司。而公司也将凭借这笔收购案将公司目前35％的税率降低至15％左右。现在Auxilium公司又沿着既定计划向前迈进一步。公司最近宣布将启动一项裁员计划以降低公司预算。

根据计划，公司将裁员约30％左右，裁员后公司每年将节省约7500万美元的资金。而此次裁员将波及公司的研发部门和销售部门。据了解Auxilium公司计划将目前的三个销售团队缩减为两个，但销售业务的重点仍然在公司的三大支柱产品Xiaflex、Stendra和Testopel。此外，裁员后的医药研发部门将致力于肥胖和五十肩的治疗。

据统计，Auxilium公司2013年底共有员工639人，这意味着按照计划将有超过200人在这次重组中离开，虽然公司并没有在声明中透露裁员计划的详细细节，但是公司新闻发言人透露，这一计划已经最终敲定。整个裁员计划所花费的费用约为2千万美元。

今年来，由于过高的税率，许多美国大型生物医药企业纷纷"出逃"到税率相对优惠的国家，这也引起了美国政府的注意，此前美国总统奥巴马就专门在国会指出过这一问题，并要求相关税务部门采取相应措施。而有趣的是，被收购企业所在国政府也往往对这些收购案采取谨慎态度，如今年早些时候辉瑞企图收购阿斯利康时，英国政府就站在十分消极的立场上。这主要是因为收购方往往会在收购案完成后对被收购企业进行裁员，这一行为将极大影响企业所在地的稳定。（生物谷Bioon.com）

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详细英文报道：

A little more than two months after announcing a deal to merge with Canada's QLT in a tax-cutting move, Auxilium Pharmaceuticals rolled out a plan today to ax 30% of its staff, narrowing its R&D focus and slashing its annual costs by $75 million a year.

The leaner, meaner Auxilium ($AUXL) is evidently cutting sales staff as well, whittling three sales groups down to two as it promises to continue to push sales of three key products: Xiaflex, Stendra and Testopel.  And it plans to focus its R&D efforts on cellulite and "frozen shoulder syndrome."

According to its annual report, Auxilium had 639 staffers at the end of last year, indicating that up to about 200 employees will lose their jobs in the restructuring. Auxilium did not specify in its statement, though, exactly how many pink slips are being handed out.

A spokesperson for the company told FierceBiotech that Auxilium has yet to provide final word on exactly how many employees are being cut or how individual departments will be affected.

Auxilium is already well on its way to cutting its tax rate from 35% to Canada's 15%. Back in June the biotech said it would acquire QLT in a $345 million stock deal and domicile the company in British Columbia. And when Auxilium CEO Adrian Adams was touting the merger with QLT in June he talked up the notion of using the freed up tax money to invest more into R&D and acquisitions.

The Chesterbrook, PA-based biotech plans to take a charge of up to $20 million to cover the cost of the restructuring.

These controversial tax inversions and the restructurings they can trigger have been a popular feature in the biopharma world this year. Pfizer tried, but so far failed, in its attempt at a big tie-up with AstraZeneca. AbbVie, though, nabbed Shire and Medtronic acquired Covidien, among other tax inversion deals.