Editors Note: Updated 8/20 at 10:20am. This story is still breaking and will be updated as new information is learned.
Baltimore, Md. — Aug. 19, 2025 — Catalent has reportedly begun layoffs in Maryland of 200 to 350 roles, according to several sources with direct knowledge of the company’s recent actions. Multiple LinkedIn posts and Reddit threads by company employees also cite similar numbers. No 2025 notice appears on Maryland Labor’s WARN/ESA log yet. (WARN check completed today – BioBuzz will update the article once official data is released.)
A Catalent spokesperson shared a statement with BioBuzz about the recent layoffs. “Due to an unexpected shift in demand from a large customer, we have made the necessary decision to reduce our workforce in Baltimore. It is never easy to see talented colleagues leave Catalent and we remain committed to providing them transition support as they manage this change. Our gene therapy business continues to see strong growth and we look forward to working on behalf of customers to deliver novel therapies for patients with genetic diseases/disorders.“
Catalent’s Maryland network—Harmans/BWI (viral-vector drug substance) and a Baltimore drug-product site tied to Sarepta Therapeutics’ ELEVIDYS gene therapy—has been a centerpiece of the state’s cell-and-gene ecosystem since Catalent’s $1.2B acquisition of Paragon Bioservices and subsequent $230M Harmans expansion.
In July, the FDA requested a pause on ELEVIDYS shipments amid safety reviews following patient deaths linked to acute liver failure; within 10 days, shipments resumed for ambulatory patients after the agency’s review. Sarepta identifies Catalent as its primary commercial manufacturing partner for ELEVIDYS. (No party has stated that the review led to Catalent workforce actions.)
Separately, an unrelated court case is underway (Catalent v. Woodard (D. Md. 1:25-cv-02394)) that centers on the alleged removal of confidential manufacturing files. A TRO issued July 23; the docket shows a preliminary-injunction hearing Aug. 1, 2025. Woodard asserts whistleblower status, claiming he raised GMP concerns and refused to sign off on data he believed wasn’t defensible. Prior to his time at Catalent, Woodard was a former college professor and the Program Director of UMD’s Biotechnology Research & Education Program (BREP) before it was shut down in 2020. (Allegations by both sides; no findings on the merits.) BioBuzz will continue to track this story as it develops as well.
These stories underscore how complex and challenging the CDMO business can be. Catalent’s situation in Maryland reflects both the volatility of demand in advanced therapies and the heightened scrutiny surrounding quality, safety, and compliance across the industry. As the gene-therapy sector continues to mature, CDMOs will remain on the front lines—absorbing the risks of shifting client pipelines, regulatory uncertainty, and evolving workforce needs, even as they play a pivotal role in bringing transformative treatments to patients.
Maryland’s job market already under stress
The Catalent cuts are landing amid a 2025 for local life-sciences employment. Just this Summer BioNTech filed to lay off 63 in Gaithersburg, Eurofins listed 25 in Frederick (effective September), and HHS WARN filings show 2,755 Maryland positions eliminated across multiple sites at the end of May. BioBuzz has tracked over 1,200 layoffs in Maryland over the past 12 months.
Maryland Life Science Workforce Faces Record Contraction
Gene-therapy manufacturing capacity is resetting after years of expansion. National Resilience shared plans in June to close six plants and separately filed 120 layoffs in Durham, while Evotec announced an exit from gene therapy with ~400 job cuts (later reporting suggests ~600 reductions through mid-2025).
Editor’s note on sourcing: Catalent has not announced Maryland layoffs publicly and no 2025 WARN has posted for Catalent as of Aug. 19, 2025. As of the publishing of this article BioBuzz has reached out to Catalent to comment on the layoffs and the court case. This article attributes the 200- 350 figure to several informed sources as well as publicly available information and will be updated upon company comment or state filing.
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