Novartis to cut up to 130 jobs in Basel as it relocates Kleinbasel labs

Novartis AG (NVS) said on September 2, 2026 that it could cut about 130 jobs at its site in Kleinbasel, Basel, as part of a planned relocation of laboratories to its main campus in the city.

Under the plan, the affected labs are to be moved from Kleinbasel to the main Novartis campus by the end of 2028, while small-scale biologics production in Kleinbasel is set to stop by the end of 2027. The company has cited the expiry of individual Kleinbasel site leases in 2029 as a reason for the move.

Novartis has offered affected employees an extended social plan running to the end of 2028. The Swiss union Unia criticised the decision, noting that the company has cut almost 3,000 jobs in Switzerland since 2018.

The move follows other recently announced reductions at Novartis facilities. In November 2025 the company laid out a plan to cut 550 jobs at its Stein manufacturing plant in Switzerland by the end of 2027, and in May 2026 it announced 220 job cuts at its Wehr production facility in Germany by the end of 2028.