X4 Pharmaceuticals Announces Significant Restructuring and Strategic Shift

X4 Pharmaceuticals, a Boston-based biopharmaceutical company, has announced a major restructuring initiative aimed at focusing its resources on the development of its lead drug candidate, mavorixafor. The company plans to lay off 30% of its global workforce and close its research center in Vienna, Austria, as part of a strategic realignment following recent regulatory successes and commercial partnerships.

Workforce Reduction and Operational Changes

The restructuring will result in the elimination of 43 positions, representing approximately 30% of X4's global workforce. In addition to the layoffs, the company is closing its research center of excellence in Vienna and pausing all pre-clinical drug candidates. These measures are expected to generate significant cost savings, with the company projecting between $30 million and $35 million in reduced expenses.

This is not the first time X4 has implemented such cost-cutting measures. In July 2022, the company executed a similar restructuring, laying off 20% of its workforce to save approximately $25 million. At that time, the focus was on mavorixafor and two pre-clinical candidates, X4P-002 and X4P-003, which are now being halted as part of the current reprioritization.

Strategic Focus on Mavorixafor Development

The primary objective of this restructuring is to redirect resources towards the clinical development of mavorixafor for treating chronic neutropenia. Mavorixafor, a CXCR4 antagonist, received FDA approval in April 2024 for the treatment of WHIM (warts, hypogammaglobulinemia, infections, and myelokathexis) syndrome, marking a significant milestone for X4 as the first FDA-approved treatment specifically targeted for this rare immunodeficiency disorder.

Following positive results from a Phase II trial for chronic neutropenia in June 2024, X4 initiated a Phase III trial for this broader indication. The company aims to leverage the cost savings from the restructuring to support the ongoing development of mavorixafor in this larger patient population.

Recent Commercial Developments

Despite the challenges necessitating this restructuring, X4 has seen some recent commercial successes. In January 2025, the company entered into a licensing agreement with Norgine, a European pharmaceutical firm, for the commercialization of mavorixafor in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. This deal provided X4 with an upfront payment of €28.5 million ($29.55 million) and the potential for up to €226 million ($234.29 million) in regulatory and commercial milestones.

As X4 Pharmaceuticals navigates through this period of transition, the pharmaceutical industry will be closely watching to see how the company's focused strategy on mavorixafor development unfolds in the competitive landscape of rare disease treatments.