Vir Biotechnology Lays Off 25% of Staff, Shifts Focus to Cancer Research in Sanofi Partnership

Layoffs: Vir Biotechnology is laying off 25% of its staff, which translates to approximately 140 roles across its operations.
Shift in Focus: The company is abandoning most of its virus-related work and pivoting to cancer research as part of a deal with Sanofi.
Sanofi Partnership: Vir has gained three T-cell engagers from Sanofi, which will be a focus area for their future research.
Cost Savings: The layoffs and R&D changes are expected to save $50 million through the end of 2025, which will be reinvested in new candidates.
Previous Partnerships: Vir had previously partnered with GSK for COVID-19 research, but GSK stepped back from the coronavirus portion of the partnership earlier this year.