Merck cuts 170 jobs at Acceleron right on heels of $11.5B buyout

Just months after striking its $11.5 billion deal for Acceleron Pharma, Merck & Co. has telegraphed its intention to downsize at its newly acquired unit.

Merck is laying off a clutch of Acceleron staffers in Cambridge, Massachusetts, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining (WARN) notice published by the state this week. The job cuts, which will affect 170 employees, will occur between May 31 and Nov. 18.