AstraZeneca, the Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical firm, is to cut 1,150 leadership and sales jobs in the US as part of its ongoing cost-cutting programme.
The firm, which recently announced an agreement to freely share drug research with UK academics, said it would reduce its US sales force by 24 per cent as a result of the cuts.
This change to the US sales force is part of the company's restructuring programme that was announced in January 2010.
As a result, AstraZeneca will rake a restructuring cost associated with today's announced between $50 million to $100 million in the fourth quarter of 2011.
"These are difficult decisions that impact valued employees," said Rich Fante, president, AstraZeneca US.
"The changes we are making, however, will help us deliver better results for our business and, most importantly, continue delivering on our mission of patient health."
AstraZeneca employs around 61,000 workers globally.