Aura Biosciences Lays Off 20% of Workforce, Overhauls C-Suite in R&D Pivot

NewsData.io · United States · Aug 11, 2026

Boston biotech Aura Biosciences is cutting approximately 20% of its workforce — roughly 22 positions based on its 113 full-time employees as of February — as new CEO Natalie Holles refocuses the company exclusively on ocular oncology. The restructuring carries a severance cost of $2.9M–$3.2M and includes a full C-suite overhaul, with three new executives installed and three departing. The company extended its cash runway to early 2029 as a result of the strategic pullback from bladder cancer research.