Sanofi to cut 229 jobs at Blueprint Medicines a year after $9.1 billion takeover

Sanofi will lay off 229 employees from Blueprint Medicines in Massachusetts as part of a post-acquisition integration programme, roughly a year after completing its $9.1 billion acquisition of the US biotechnology company.

The workforce reduction is the first major layoff disclosed under Belén Garijo, who took over as chief executive of the French pharmaceutical giant in May 2026. The job cuts were detailed in a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) filing in Massachusetts and form part of a broader effort to integrate Blueprint into Sanofi’s operations.

Job cuts follow acquisition integration

According to the WARN notice, the layoffs will take place between October 2026 and June 2027.

Sanofi acquired Blueprint Medicines in 2025 to strengthen its rare disease and immunology portfolio, including gaining access to Ayvakit and a pipeline of KIT inhibitor therapies.

Blueprint reported 682 full-time employees as of April 15, 2025, according to its final quarterly filing before the acquisition announcement.

The latest reduction means roughly one-third of Blueprint’s pre-acquisition workforce will be affected.

Key details

• 229 employees will be laid off in Massachusetts.
• Layoffs are scheduled between October 2026 and June 2027.
• The move comes about a year after Sanofi's $9.1 billion acquisition of Blueprint Medicines.
• Blueprint employed 682 full-time staff before the takeover.
• Sanofi will close two legacy Blueprint facilities in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Cambridge footprint to be consolidated

Alongside the workforce reduction, Sanofi is consolidating Blueprint’s real estate footprint in Cambridge.

According to reporting by the Boston Business Journal, the company plans to close two former Blueprint sites, including the biotech firm's previous global headquarters at 45 Sidney Street.

Remaining Blueprint employees will relocate to Sanofi’s Cambridge Crossing campus, which opened in 2022 as part of the company's earlier consolidation of facilities across the Boston biotechnology hub.

The move reflects a common integration strategy following large pharmaceutical acquisitions, where overlapping functions and infrastructure are merged to reduce costs and simplify operations.

Sanofi says changes support long-term priorities

In a statement reported by Fierce Pharma, Sanofi said the restructuring is intended to align the organisation with its long-term business priorities and portfolio needs.

The company said many Blueprint employees would continue within Sanofi and added that support measures were being provided for workers affected by the transition.

The announcement comes as Sanofi reassesses its growth strategy under new leadership.

During her first earnings call as chief executive in July, Garijo said the company needed to recognise existing challenges and act with urgency to improve its medium and long-term growth outlook.

She also highlighted a focus on accountability, performance and faster decision-making across the organisation.

Leadership changes continue after takeover

The integration has coincided with several senior departures from Blueprint Medicines.

Former Blueprint chief executive Kate Haviland moved to become board chair of cell therapy company GC Therapeutics. Former chief scientific officer Percy Carter joined Pfizer to lead preclinical and translational sciences, while former chief commercial officer Philina Lee became chief executive of radiopharmaceutical company AdvanCell.

The exits underscore the broader organisational changes often seen after large biotechnology acquisitions.

Restructuring may signal broader changes

Industry observers frequently view post-acquisition workforce reductions as a means of eliminating duplicate functions and improving efficiency. However, the Blueprint restructuring also arrives during a period of leadership transition at Sanofi.

Garijo succeeded former CEO Paul Hudson in May and has already begun reshaping the executive team.

While Sanofi has not announced a wider restructuring programme, the Blueprint integration represents the clearest sign yet of operational changes under the company's new leadership.

As the layoffs unfold through mid-2027, investors and employees will be watching for indications of whether Sanofi plans further organisational changes as it seeks to strengthen growth and improve execution across its global business.