ECONOMIC ENGINE— Biotech firm Amgen, which employs around 6,200 people in Thousand Oaks, announced Wednesday that it was laying off 226 employees in its research and development wing in T.O. Laid off employees will receive cash benefits, health insurance and career transition services. Amgen, the city’s largest private employer, announced this week the layoff of 380 employees, most from its Thousand Oaks headquarters. The layoff affects employees in Amgen’s research and development division.

The bio-tech company is letting employees go, including 226 in Thousand Oaks, to focus financial resources on moving several of its therapies through costly clinical trials—the final stage of testing before applying for federal drug approval, Amgen spokesperson Mary Klem said Wednesday.

“We have a robust pipeline, with more molecules moving into the later, more expensive stages of development; to make the significant investment needed to bring these therapies to patients, we must shift some of our R&D resources,” Klem said.

The company informed employees in research and development last week that there would be changes that could include layoffs.

“So it was not a surprise today,” Klem said. “But still, I’m sure that didn’t make it any easier.”

The job loss will range across the board to include department heads, supervisors and scientists, Klem said. There are about 6,200 total Amgen employees based in Thousand Oaks.

The final day of work for the employees will be Dec. 30.

“Staff reductions are never easy, and the company only considers them when they are necessary based on business conditions,” Klem said. “After careful consideration, Amgen believes this restructuring effort is the appropriate response to the changes in our business environment.”

Mark Watkins, interim assistant city manager for Thousand Oaks, said Amgen told the city about the layoffs on Wednesday.

“It wasn’t expected. But given the economic times, I can’t say we’re surprised,” Watkins said.

“Any loss of jobs in the community is troubling and . . . we feel for the families that are impacted by this,” he said. “We’re very hopeful that the folks who live in the community will find other work.

“But we also recognize the business decisions (Amgen has) to make given the times,” he said, adding, “Hopefully this is a bump in the road.”

Watkins said the stalled economy has forced other companies to reorganize and even the city has had to cut 85 jobs in the past few years.

Amgen will give the laid off workers a cash payout and paid healthcare benefits, Klem said, although she declined to disclose more details.

Amgen is also providing employees with career transition services.

“It’s definitely a fair and comprehensive package,” Klem said.

This isn’t Amgen’s largest layoff. In 2007, the biotech company laid off 1,500 employees—675 from T.O. More recently, the company let 140 employees go this summer at one of two manufacturing plants in Colorado.

This latest round of layoffs affects research and development offices in San Francisco, Seattle, Boston and the United Kingdom.

Last year, Amgen’s research and development expense was $2.9 billion, 19 percent of its total revenue of $15.1 billion, according to the company’s website.

This past July, Amgen reported having more than 17,600 employees worldwide.

Amgen’s stock price peaked at around $80 as 2005 got underway. The recent 52-week range has been between $47 and $61. Yesterday it closed at $57.32