Ultragenyx to cut 20% of staff and end two rare disease drugs

· Health · United States

Ultragenyx will lay off about 20% of its staff and end development of two rare disease drugs after another study failure, the California biopharma said. The company is also scrapping a Wilson disease gene therapy, Endpoints News reported. It marks the second round of layoffs this year for Ultragenyx, following a third quarter that brought two FDA approvals but a major setback in Angelman syndrome. The cuts show how even companies with fresh approvals are trimming pipelines and costs when late-stage trials disappoint.

Why it matters：It illustrates the pressure on rare disease biotechs to shed pipeline risk after trial failures, even with approvals in hand.

Key points

  • About 20% of staff affected
  • Two rare disease programs ended, plus a Wilson disease gene therapy
  • Second layoff round this year

Sources (original reporting)

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