Exelixis to Lay Off 130 Employees, Shut Down Pennsylvania Site in Post-Pandemic Downsizing

Exelixis is laying off 130 employees and shutting down its King of Prussia, Pennsylvania facility as part of a company-wide reorganization following the pandemic-era hiring boom135.

The decision is intended to consolidate operations at the company's Alameda, California headquarters, with hopes of reopening some impacted positions there13.

A company spokesperson cited the evolution of business needs and a focus on maximizing opportunities for key oncology drugs like cabozantinib and the late-stage pipeline molecule zanzalintinib13.

Zanzalintinib recently showed positive Phase III trial results when combined with Roche's Tecentriq, outperforming Bayer's Stivarga in colorectal cancer, positioning it as a potential successor to Exelixis's flagship drug Cabometyx13.

The layoffs reflect a broader industry trend of pharmaceutical companies downsizing or restructuring in the post-pandemic period5.

Sources:

1. https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/exelixis-lay-130-employees-shut-down-pennsylvania-site-post-pandemic-downsizing

3. https://www.biospace.com/business/exelixis-lays-off-130-as-pennsylvania-site-closes-down

5. https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/fierce-biotech-layoff-tracker-2025