BridgeBio's success highlights California's biotech jobs paradox
The rapid commercial rise of BridgeBio's Attruby is drawing attention to a gap between California's life-sciences innovation and its employment.
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The rapid commercial rise of BridgeBio's Attruby is drawing attention to a gap between California's life-sciences innovation and its employment.
The Palo Alto company's ATTR-CM drug went from approval in late 2024 to $222.4 million in quarterly US sales by mid-2026. Yet an op-ed in The Western Journal noted that California life-sciences employment declined even as the sector generated $394 billion in economic output and drew $73.1 billion in private investment.
All three of California's major life-sciences clusters lost jobs in 2025, GEN reported, citing an industry study. The San Francisco Bay Area fell 2.7% to 137,779 jobs, and San Diego fell 2.55%.
The Western Journal author argued that the state should make expansion attractive through predictable permitting, training tied to hiring needs and accountability for public incentives. The California Life Sciences sector report tracks the industry's footprint across the state.
BridgeBio's $1 billion financing suggests further launches ahead, raising the question of where that growth will be located.