Business
The state’s largest drugmaker, Cambridge-based Takeda, plans to cut 137 more jobs, following nearly 1,000 layoffs last year.
Takeda Pharmaceuticals, the Cambridge-based U.S. subsidiary of the Japanese drugmaker, announced it will lay off 137 employees next year due to the discontinuation of its cell therapy program.
This move is separate from the nearly 1,000 cuts made last year as part of a multi-year efficiency plan.
On Wednesday, Takeda notified the state Executive Officer of Labor and Workforce that it is laying off 137 employees beginning in January at its three locations: 650 Kendall St., 40 Landsdowne St., and 300 Massachusetts Ave.
The notice says the company will provide affected employees with severance packages, and each employee will get a 60-day notice.
A Takeda spokesperson says some employees who received notice last year have continued working for the company in different roles.
Takeda remains the largest life sciences employer in the state with 5,809 employees.
A spokesperson said the recent cuts come as the company discontinues its cell therapy efforts in order to enable the company to “deliver transformative therapies to patients with increased speed and scale.”
The company is seeking an external partner to leverage its cell therapy platform and further advance its research and clinic-ready programs in this field.
The spokesperson said the decision to cut the program is not part of its prior restructuring initiatives.
“Massachusetts remains a key hub for R&D at Takeda,” the company said in a statement. “We will continue to build new capabilities and invest in our team.”
Takeda is opening a new facility at 585 Kendall next year, with about 600,000 square feet of R&D.
Takeda is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on therapeutic areas in oncology, rare biologics and hematology, neuroscience, and gastroenterology.
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