Cancer institute backed by Larry Ellison plans major layoffs in Los Angeles

Key Points:

• The Ellison Medical Institute, a cancer research center funded by Larry Ellison and led by oncologist David Agus, plans to lay off 88 employees permanently in January, according to a recent federal filing.
• The Los Angeles-based institute focuses on AI, molecular analytics, and interdisciplinary disease research, with programs in preventative medicine, cancer treatment, drug development, and community education.
• The layoffs come amid broader cutbacks in the Los Angeles healthcare sector, with other institutions like Kaiser Permanente, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Keck Medicine of USC, and L.A. Care Health Plan also reducing staff due to financial pressures.
• Despite recent setbacks, the institute remains active in cancer drug development and AI research, including partnerships for prostate cancer treatment and AI-powered drug design, with clinical trials anticipated by 2027.
• Larry Ellison has been a major cancer research philanthropist, previously donating $200 million to USC for an interdisciplinary cancer center, and expressing optimism that AI could eradicate most cancers within a decade.