Gilead leaving Boulder, Westminster

BOULDER – Gilead Sciences Inc. plans to close its Boulder and Westminster offices by the end of the year and lay off about 66 of the 139 combined employees at those locations.

The Foster City, Calif.-based biopharmaceutical company that specializes in drugs that treat viruses, cardiovascular conditions and respiratory diseases, said about half of the Boulder and Westminster employees were offered a relocation package while “most” of the others were offered retention bonuses to stay through 2009.

According to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification filed with the state, employees were notified of the closure June 18. The document states the company…