More Companies Try on “Das Boot,” One Hires
January 23, 2009 at 8:33 pm EST | Tags: Economy & Layoffs
This is kinda getting to be a
pain in the ass, no pun intended, but we have more layoffs to report.
And, get this, one company is actually hiring! OK, let’s get this
over with:
MDRNA looks like it’s ready to prove RNAi is a big farce. Looks like Nastech, err MDRNA, just keeps screwing things up. The now RNA focused chemistry oligonucleotide smorgasbord company is running out of cash and is “drastically cutting down” payroll expenses. In fact, MDRNA asked its management to work for no pay AND has frozen employee salaries at $1,250 for the final two weeks of January (<—note how they didn’t “ask” the employees). Sucks man.
Matt Haines from investor relations said:
“As a public company, we cannot get into details of any cost-cutting we are taking at MDRNA.”
…in reference to upcoming layoffs. Whatever dude. We all know what’s coming next. wtf?

Just like the city they live in (Baltimore), Novavax and Alba Therapeutics are also struggling. Both companies combined have laid off 40 peeps this month alone. You know no one there is singing “Good Morning, Baltimore.” (Hairspray joke). Alba CEO Bruce Peacock (pictured) sure looks like he has his feathers ruffled.
In better news, Germany is invading Florida! This time, they’re bringing jobs! Biotest Pharmaceuticals is expanding their plasma business and they need 110 people to help run their Boca Raton facility. Hey, that’s close to us!
Anywho, let’s hope next week gets better. These are not good times,
not good times indeed
Image from kickassbands




I’ve been to baltimore. that place rocks!!!
Actually, Forbes just this week ranked Baltimore 7 in the top 10 areas for job growth and DC also in the top 10: http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2009/01/12/daily50.html
Don’t know where you’re at, but we’re doing pretty darn well here
A good one for biotechnology resources and advertising would be popular life sciences search engine Vadlo.com.
Hey FredCoBio: good for you! To whoever writes this: ur funny (and insightful I guess), except you talk a lot of smack.
Actually, Baltimore is a crap hole. Defend it all you want, but people with EYES agree, it is a crap hole. PERIOD.
Um, FredCoBio – yeah, if you got from zero jobs to one job, then that is 100% growth, so it looks really good on paper if you describe it like that. But, having lived six years in Baltimore, I agree with Iguana. Baltimore is stoooooooooopid.
JHU, didn’t say is wasn’t a crap hole. Mearly correcting the statement that Baltimore is “struggling”. I’m in Frederick. Avoid DC like the plague and Balto for the Inner Harbor, necessary meetings or to take my daughter to school @ Towson.
Geesh, FredCo, you can’t be a scientist. You just aren’t that precise.
You would know that you can be growing and still be struggling. Those are not mutually exclusive. Also, “struggling” is slang among people who are less than 100 years old, meaning that the city is just not “groovy.” Make sense?
Finally, Towson is not Baltimore.
HTH.