Staff at Inverness-based Lifescan Scotland were informed of the development by management on Tuesday.
It comes after parent company Johnson and Johnson announced it was reviewing its strategic options.
LifeScan makes products for the treatment of diabetes and currently employs 1,100 people in the Highland capital.
The products include meters and software to let people self-monitor their blood glucose levels.
Johnson and Johnson reported slower than expected sales to the financial markets on Tuesday and said they were looking to sell or find partners or other options for Lifescan.
Last summer Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) invested Â£1.8m in Lifescan to support 600 existing jobs.

Wembley was being rebuilt, so the match was played at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff and was most notable for the stunning - and some would say unexpected - strike from Ray Parlour that sealed victory for Arsene Wenger's team.
Thierry Henry, Frank Lampard, Dennis Bergkamp, Marcel Desailly - there were plenty of big names on the pitch back then, but what are they up to now?
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The Cumbrians have lost their last four league games, including damaging defeats to fellow challengers Plymouth Argyle and Portsmouth.
And Saturday's loss to Cambridge saw them concede three goals without reply for the second home game in a row.
"There's a nervousness about the group," Curle told BBC Radio Cumbria.
"There's a nervousness about the supporters as well. They're desperate for us to and the players want to do well to get over the line and finish top three."
Despite the downturn, Carlisle remain fifth in the League Two table, four points behind Portsmouth in the third automatic promotion place, and six points above eighth-placed Mansfield.
But the tough games continue with sixth-place Luton and Mansfield next for Curle's side.
"Teams won't come here and roll over," he added. "So we need to go back to basics, scrap and fight for everything which means we need a level of aggression about us.
"We weren't competitive and aggressive enough [against Cambridge], we weren't demanding with our movement, demanding of the ball.
"There wasn't there that level of confidence going forward, we were disjointed and not on the same page."

The Irish government suggested the formation of the group last week.
But on Monday, DUP leader Arlene Foster said she had not been consulted over it and it appeared it would not go ahead.
But Mr McGuinness has said he does not think "anybody should have a veto on a good idea".
The Irish government government said it proposed the forum to enable groups to work on areas of mutual interest, such as trade, investment and health.
The UK's decision to leave the EU dominated a meeting of the North South Ministerial Council on Monday attended by Arlene Foster and Martin McGuinness.
Mrs Foster said the forum was not on the agenda.
Instead, she said existing cross-border bodies would be used to work out the implications on the island of Ireland of a UK withdrawal from the EU.
On Tuesday, Mr McGuinness said indications from "very senior civil servants within the [Irish] government" were that Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Enda Kenny would go ahead with the plan.
"I spoke to the taoiseach before the meeting of the North South Ministerial Council - he wasn't putting it as an item on the agenda but he stated very clearly to me that he still believed that it would be a very useful thing to do," he said.
"I wouldn't be too exercised about the fact that there will be political elements who wouldn't be interested in attending.
"The DUP will undoubtedly through different methodologies have their say in relation to all of it."
He said he believed the idea of a forum would "get widespread support from most within the political process".
Government ministers from Northern Ireland and the Republic drew up a list on Monday of priority areas they intend to work on to limit any potential damage of Brexit.
Among the points was an agreement to conduct a "full audit" to "identify the possible impacts, risks, opportunities and contingencies" that the island could face.
And the two finance ministers will "consider the issue of securing" further funding for regional development from the EU.
Up to 80 jobs are under threat at one of Scotland's largest life sciences companies.
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Arsenal and Chelsea have only featured in one previous FA Cup final in 2002 - when the Gunners defeated their London rivals 2-0.
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Carlisle United need to "scrap and fight" to cope with the pressure of chasing promotion to League One this season, says manager Keith Curle.
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A proposed cross-border forum on all-Ireland issues in the wake of the UK's decision to leave the EU could go ahead despite not having DUP support, Martin McGuinness says.