Vir Biotechnology to withdraw from infectious diseases research

Vir Biotechnology is cutting one-quarter of its workforce in a move away from infectious disease research.

The company, which rose to prominence with its coronavirus antibody work in the pandemic, plans to phase out research in influenza, COVID-19 and its T cell-based viral vector platform. Instead, it will focus on hepatitis and three cancer drugs it is licensing from Sanofi.

Vir now expects to end the year with some 435 employees, down by about 200 from a peak in the second quarter of 2023.