COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Sarepta Therapeutics announced it is laying off nearly 500 employees this week, including 80 at its Easton location.
According to a mass layoff notice filed with the state, biotech company Sarepta Therapeutics laid off 80 employees Friday in central Ohio. The move comes amid a federal investigation into fatal concerns in one of its gene therapy treatments, ELEVIDYS, which was developed at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
All affected Ohio employees worked at an office at 4201 Easton Commons. Columbus layoffs included managers, researchers, scientists and veterinary workers.
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Sarepta Therapeutics is a global company that researches and develops genetic medication for rare diseases. ELEVIDYS was one of these treatments, used to help patients with Duschenne muscular dystrophy. On Friday, the same day as the layoffs, the FDA said it requested Sarepta voluntarily stop all shipments of ELEVIDYS, but claimed the company refused. The company later claimed it only heard of this request through news outlets, but confirmed it would not be complying with the request…