Japan’s Eisai Trims Headcount In U.S.

The U.S. subsidiary of the Japanese drugmaker Eisai is cutting 25% of its workforce, which spans R&D, manufacturing, sales, and administrative functions. According to a notice filed with New Jersey’s Department of Labor & Workforce Development, 153 of the more than 200 lost jobs will come from its Woodcliff Lake, N.J., headquarters. The overhaul, which does not include the closure of any sites, is expected to be complete by May 1. Eisai has struggled with lackluster sales for the obesity drug Belviq, which it comarkets with Arena Pharmaceuticals. Eisai’s cuts come just weeks after Vivus Pharmaceuticals, which sells a competing obesity drug, laid off one-third of its sales force.