Challenger Gray, a US employment consulting firm, reports that pharmaceutical companies announced plans to lay off 19,112 employees in August, bringing the total to 22,433. This represents a 142% increase compared to the 9,254 layoffs reported in the same period last year. The industry is facing increasing competition from patent expirations and is refocusing on higher-margin products. Many companies are also implementing artificial intelligence, which is leading to restructuring and job losses.