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Theranos Is Laying Off 155 People, About 41 Percent Of Its Workforce (cnbc.com)

The embattled blood-testing company Theranos is laying off 155 people, about 41 percent of its workforce, as it struggles to recover from the backlash generated when the company failed to provide accurate results to patients using its proprietary blood test technology. The job cuts announced today are similar to the cuts announced last year in October, when the company said it would shut down its blood-testing facilities and shrink its workforce by more than 40%. CNBC reports: The start-up will let go of its workers after months of regulatory setbacks as well as lawsuits and scrutiny. That would leave 220 workers to focus on its business plans, primarily its blood testing product called the miniLab. "These are always the most difficult decisions; however, this move allows Theranos to marshal its resources most efficiently and effectively," Theranos said in a statement.

52 comments

  1. 59% to go by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Why are they even keeping their doors open? They are based solely off of fraud.

    1. Re:59% to go by tripleevenfall · · Score: 1

      The final step will be patent trolling.

    2. Re:59% to go by rmdingler · · Score: 2

      Alas, and even finally, there are some things beneath patent trolls.

      --
      Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.

      Ernest Hemingway

    3. Re:59% to go by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      Why are they even keeping their doors open? They are based solely off of fraud.

      Fraud is the next big thing.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    4. Re:59% to go by fluffernutter · · Score: 1

      Fraud is the new business. Keep up!

      --
      Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
    5. Re:59% to go by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 1

      Why are they even keeping their doors open? They are based solely off of fraud.

      Fraud is the next big thing.

      Forget IoT (Internet of Things)! . . . Invest in IoF (Internet of Fraud)!

      --
      Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
    6. Re:59% to go by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm triggered because you are keeping an animal captive for your selfish purposes. The pig deserves to be free to enjoy its rights to "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Maybe the pig does not want to provide you therapy--did you think of that before you took it hostage?

    7. Re:59% to go by tripleevenfall · · Score: 1

      There's a major battle being waged over direct-to-consumer healthcare (particularly medical genomics). Medical doctors don't want to be replaced by automation.

      "Medical doctors" perform lab tests?

    8. Re:59% to go by tripleevenfall · · Score: 1

      He's using a Theranos calculator that's still in beta

    9. Re:59% to go by Alumoi · · Score: 1

      Is there any difference between IoT and IoF? I mean except the time it takes from the moment the sucker connects the device to the net and the bot army takes it over.

    10. Re:59% to go by Mr+Foobar · · Score: 1

      "Medical doctors" perform lab tests?

      Yes, in a theoretical (layman's definition) sense, that's true. Pathologists, the MD/DO educated physicians that run the medical laboratories producing lab tests, are responsible for the results which come from the labs they run. We medical laboratory technologists, along with other medical lab professionals like cytotechnologists, who do the actual manual labor of performing the tests, are the "hands" of the pathologists that would actually be running the tests if we weren't trained to work in their stead. At core, we lab techs all know and understand this, and the med lab field is an ancillary medical field. A lot of medical tech field operate the same same, being the laborers for the doctors for a particular field. Nuclear med techs and radiation dosologists are similar.

      --
      -> I dislike sigs...
    11. Re:59% to go by davester666 · · Score: 1

      Fraud has been the 'big thing' since forever. It's been time tested to be an excellent method separate people and their money.

      --
      Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!
  2. Please let the dingbat be one of them by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Can't wait for photos of Elizabeth standing in the unemployment line in her turtleneck.

    1. Re:Please let the dingbat be one of them by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Have her washed and brought to my chambers.

    2. Re:Please let the dingbat be one of them by fluffernutter · · Score: 1

      She'll be in the privileged princess unemployment line, where they just give you a check for a million dollars if they can't find a CEO position for you. I doubt you have access to that line.

      --
      Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
  3. not quite by Jodka · · Score: 5, Insightful

    From the summary:
    "Theranos... failed to provide accurate results to patients"

    No. They fraudulently claimed to provide accurate results. If they had merely failed it would not be a scandal.

     

    --
    Ceci n'est pas une signature.
    1. Re:not quite by mhkohne · · Score: 1

      I think their only hope is to actually make the minilab tech work, then sell the technology to some big medical player who can go through the required testing without the Theranos people being at all involved.

      I suspect that what they'll ACTUALLY do is screw around, run out of money and close the doors. It'll be interesting to see if anyone actually buys their IP - even at fire sale prices, it's somewhat tainted if you want to actually produce a product. I can't imaging anyone who does anything based on this tech (or hires any of their people) isn't going to get a little extra scrutiny from the FDA.

      --
      A thousand pounds of wood moving at 300 feet per minute. Don't get in the way.
    2. Re:not quite by rtb61 · · Score: 0

      Theranos only mistake according to modern corporate principles, is they did not get the IPO out of the door quick enough. For modern corporations failure to make a profit by a hugely inflated IPO is far and away worse than failure of purpose, how many die, meh, where's the profits for the vulture 'er' venture capitalists.

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
    3. Re: not quite by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Most of the time, they used other competitors products to generate results while they worked on their own bloid test systems.

      But their lead engineering designer committed suicide

      http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3776888/Award-winning-scientist-struggling-make-Theranos-blood-test-machines-work-committed-suicide-amid-fears-Silicon-Valley-firm-s-32-year-old-CEO-fire-claims-wife.html

  4. What is the plan moving forward? by HalAtWork · · Score: 1

    Do they have any legitimate aspirations or are they still planning to fake it 'til they make it?

  5. Executive Malfeasance? by BoRegardless · · Score: 1

    Sure seems like it.

    1. Re:Executive Malfeasance? by TuballoyThunder · · Score: 1

      I find it amazing that Holmes and others in leadership positions are not being prosecuted under 18 U.S. Code 1035 - False statements relating to health care matters. But IANAL.

  6. Theranos based on technical error by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    I spent a fair amount of my life as a licensed medical testing professional. Theranos based their technology purely on using the blood sample from a finger stick (puncture). When you puncture skin like that you are also cutting open the cells of the tissue in the finger tip which leaks the cell contents as well as clotting factors into your sample. Most tests are done on circulating blood that are assumed to have a very low concentration of cell contents. An example is that sodium is high concentration in the blood and low concentration inside of cells. Potassium is the opposite with low concentration in the blood and high concentration in the cell contents. Hence, when you mix the two in a finger stick puncture it will be inaccurate by definition.

  7. 59% lower than expected. by TsuruchiBrian · · Score: 2

    The layoffs of it's workforce are about 59% lower than expected considering the whole company is based on a sham.

    1. Re:59% lower than expected. by phantomfive · · Score: 1

      The real question is, "how are they affording to pay the rest of their employees?"

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    2. Re: 59% lower than expected. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They are probably paying their employees with VC (venture capitalist) money they raised earlier.

      The VCs probably told them to reduce their burn rate as a condition for loaning more money to survive so they layed off a bunch of people...

      Next comes a fire sale of IP assets to companies owned by the VCs as they loot the failing compamy and crush the empty shell and abandon the other investors.

      Just like the playbook tells them to.

  8. Ok no H1B's for at least 2-3 years unless full reh by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 1

    Ok no H1B's for at least 2-3 years unless full rehire 1st.

  9. 155 jobs lost by PopeRatzo · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Thanks a lot, Trump.

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
    1. Re:155 jobs lost by PopeRatzo · · Score: 0

      I think you mean Obummer. Trump isn't in yet.

      Someone ought to tell him.

      http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11...

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    2. Re:155 jobs lost by phantomfive · · Score: 1

      Trump isn't going to waste money (his or anyone else's) on the idiocy that Obama has.

      Like building a wall? Of all the good qualities Trump might possibly have, "avoid wasting money" isn't in the realm of possibility.

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
  10. Once again this is why these companies are by rsilvergun · · Score: 1

    so valuable. >400 employees, $4 billion dollar valuation. There's not a lot of risk there. Sure, 9 out of 10 fail, but the 1 that survives makes up for the 9 that don't. And the 9 that don't are enough "losses" that you don't pay a dime in taxes on the profits from #1. It's a completely screwed up and perverse system created by our lovely tax code and all it's cheats.

    --
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    1. Re:Once again this is why these companies are by jellomizer · · Score: 1

      "Supply and demand" is your answer.
      If people want it they will pay more for it. If it is hard to get they will pay more as well.
      Being that the company mode false promises it appeared they offered a product that a lot of people wanted that was hard to get so the company value is high.

      Value != worth. There is more worth in a healthy avocado compared to say the first Superman comic with a misprint. However the value is much higher. And you can sell that comic for a lot of avocados.

      Most of the prices of things including your salary are based on emotional response. How much you think you should make for the work. How much the company needs your skills plus how hard is it to find someone else who is willing to do the same work at the same ability for less.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  11. Holmes First by sdinfoserv · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The entire company is nothing more than the hubris of a self-absorbed mega-ego maniac. Patient health be damned, she got to be another poster child for women success stories; riding the talk show circuit like a goddess all the while pimping dangerous snake oil that every other researcher and doctor she talked with said the device wasn’t practical.

    It astonishes me that after everything that has come to light, the board doesn’t toss her out first.

    1. Re: Holmes First by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      She should be in jail.

    2. Re:Holmes First by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Have you seen who is on the board of directors? The board is not comprised of people who can legitimately provide good business and medical advice. Of course they're not going to toss her out. Some of the board members themselves would be subject to prosecution of the U.S. were not a center of fraud.

    3. Re:Holmes First by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Toss her out? That would be misogyny!

    4. Re:Holmes First by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The entire company is nothing more than the hubris of a self-absorbed mega-ego maniac.

      It's worse than that. It's a prime example of what happens when Silicon Valley's and other liberal extremist ideals of equality are applied to the world.

    5. Re:Holmes First by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      But enabled by millions of mommybloggers, 3rd wave feminists, and dotcom speculators.

      If she hadn't existed, we would have found it necessary to create her.

  12. The "D" in Theranos means Dependable by TuballoyThunder · · Score: 1

    I think Theranos has adopted hope as a strategy.

  13. So who's losing their job? by hyades1 · · Score: 1

    You can bet your house that the cocksuckers who made all the bad decisions are still pulling down major bucks...probably even bonuses.

    --
    I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
  14. Did Madoff's company stay open for one more day? by EmperorOfCanada · · Score: 1

    This makes no sense. I would be royally ticked as a defrauded investor that they were spending one more cent. I would demand my money back. The woman running it had better not be getting one of the pennies left over.

  15. Don't really understand by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How are people not in jail? ESPECIALLY Elizabeth Holmes? How is this place still worth anything?

    You'd think that after pulling a stunt like that they'd be 100% done.