AbbVie’s aesthetics division, Allergan Aesthetics, has announced plans to lay off 202 employees amid weakening sales performance. The company disclosed the move in a California Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act filing, with the layoffs scheduled to take effect in July.
"This action reflects a reorganization to better position Allergan Aesthetics for sustained leadership within the dynamic aesthetics industry," a company spokesperson told.
Of those affected, 19 are based at Allergan’s Irvine, California headquarters, while the remaining employees work remotely, according to reporting from the Orange County Business Journal.
The upcoming layoffs mark the second round of job cuts at the Irvine site, following the termination of 99 employees in 2022. The changes come as Allergan continues to adjust to shifting market dynamics and operational restructuring.
AbbVie acquired Allergan in 2019 for $63 billion, aiming to diversify its revenue portfolio in anticipation of biosimilar competition to its blockbuster immunology drug, Humira, which lost exclusivity in 2023.
Allergan Aesthetics' financial performance has been under strain. In 2024, the business unit reported a 2.2% decline in annual revenue, totaling $5.17 billion. The downturn has persisted into 2025, with first-quarter revenue falling 11.7% to $1.1 billion.
Both of Allergan’s flagship aesthetic products—Botox and Juvederm—have seen double-digit sales declines. Despite the slump, AbbVie maintains a long-term optimistic outlook, forecasting “a high single-digit compound annual revenue growth rate” for the aesthetics portfolio through 2029.
Executives partially attributed the sales slump to complications with a newly introduced aesthetics loyalty program. "Many providers felt [the new version] was 'too complex,'" said Carrie Strom, Allergan’s global president, during a company earnings call in February. The company has since reverted to the original version of the program in response to provider feedback.
Allergan is also working to rejuvenate its portfolio with new products, such as Skinvive—a dermal filler approved in 2023 that features a unique skin-smoothing mechanism. The company continues to rely heavily on Botox and Juvederm, while simultaneously investing in next-generation aesthetic treatments.
While the aesthetics business has struggled, AbbVie’s immunology segment remains strong. Skyrizi and Rinvoq, two successors to Humira, have driven robust performance, contributing to $6.26 billion in immunology sales in the first quarter of 2025.
Allergan's restructuring is part of a broader trend among major pharmaceutical companies. Bristol Myers Squibb recently announced plans to lay off 516 employees in New Jersey, while Teva intends to reduce its global workforce by 8% by 2027 as part of broader cost-cutting initiatives.
