Tripos announces job layoffs as four-year Pfizer contract ends

By E. Janene Geiss

Philadelphia, Dec. 19 - Tripos, Inc. said Monday that it intends to streamline its discovery research business and has begun the 30-day consultation period with employees mandated by U.K. law when job losses are expected in the range of 20 to 99 positions.

Any work force reduction, which will reflect the evaluation and signing of certain pipeline opportunities, is expected to be finalized by the end of January, according to a company news release.

Tripos Discovery Research Ltd. currently has 164 employees, most of which are based at its facility in England.

"Any staff reduction would be a difficult, but necessary decision to ensure the success and future growth of the company," John P. McAlister, president and chief executive officer of Tripos, said in the release.

"As our four-year $90 million file enrichment project with Pfizer Inc. draws to a close, we are carefully evaluating the staffing levels necessary to continue to provide the highest quality service to our customers as well as our new business prospects," McAlister added.

Tripos said it remains committed to its Discovery Research business as demonstrated by the company's investment in the Tripos Discovery Research Center and recent launch of the LeadDiscovery program.

Tripos Discovery Research will retain its focus on providing high-value, knowledge-led research services in partnership with a growing range of collaborators in the life science industry, officials said.

Specifically, it will continue to provide integrated medicinal chemistry services to accelerate hit finding, lead discovery and lead optimization drug discovery processes for its clients.

In addition, it will offer compound collection enhancement activities that leverage its unique design, high-speed production and purification skills.

The LeadDiscovery program launched in August, which generates novel libraries directed toward druggable gene family target classes (initially GPCRs and kinases), will be complemented by a new hit and lead-profiling biological screening service and the launch of next-generation LeadQuest, a new range of compounds with lead-like properties, officials said.

The company said it plans to offer any affected employees severance packages and also assist those employees with outplacement services. The financial impact of this action will be provided as it becomes available.

Tripos is a St. Louis, Mo., provider of drug discovery chemistry and informatics products and services.

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