The drugmaker told managers today that the cuts would come from the worldwide workforce of some 50,000 employees during the next three years, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Wyeth spokesman Doug Petkus confirmed the discussions, but stressed “nothing is etched in stone, and it is premature to discuss how many or which positions will be affected or how the reductions will be achieved. “This process is in its preliminary stages, and we are evaluating a number of options, including workforce reductions,” Petkus tells the paper. “We plan to share the details of this initiative with employees toward the end of March.”

If the cuts proceed, Wyeth would be the latest big drugmaker to tighten its budget and slash its headcount. Over the past year, Glaxo, Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, AstraZeneca and Novartis have begun shedding thousands of jobs.

Wyeth, however, has faced repeated setbacks in attempting to receive FDA approval for various drugs - Viviant, which would treat postmenopausal bone loss, and Pristiq, for menopausal hot flashes and depression. The drugmaker is also in a standoff with the world’s largest generic drugmaker, Teva Pharmaceuticalsl, which late last year planned to sell a cheaper version of Wyeth’s third-best seller, the Protonix heartburn drug. Teva is currently holding sales until Jan. 31 to see if a compromise can be reached.