AVI Biopharma has made some significant job cuts in Washington and Oregon after missing out on a potentially huge federal contract to make an RNA-based treatment against pandemic flu. The Bothell, WA-based company (NASDAQ: AVII) is cutting the jobs of about 35 of its 125 employees—28 percent of the workforce—according to CEO Chris Garabedian. The company initially announced the job cuts at the bottom of a press release on Friday, without providing further explanation. The cuts will come from AVI’s Seattle-area operations, as well as its operations in Corvallis, OR, Garabedian says.
