Associate Director

Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Massachusetts' largest biopharmaceutical employer, will lay off 247 employees at its Cambridge headquarters as part of a broader corporate restructuring. The redundancies begin on 1 July and could extend into 2027. The Japanese company announced cost-cutting measures expected to save approximately $1.2 billion by 2028. An additional 387 employees will be laid off in other US states. Affected workers are receiving transition assistance, including help identifying internal opportunities. Takeda currently has around 700 open positions, including 300 in Massachusetts, with internal candidates given priority. The company employs more than 5,700 people in Massachusetts and occupies approximately 2.8 million square feet of real estate. This follows 137 layoffs announced in October and over 800 Massachusetts redundancies in 2024.

Takeda restructuring could push more than 600 US staffers out of jobs. March 30, 2026 | Takeda's layoffs include cutting 247 people in Massachusetts. The workforce reduction is meant to help offset investments in areas including a product launch for oral drug candidate zasocitinib, for which the pharma today announced positive Phase 3 data. The workforce impact of Takeda's recently announced reorganization has become clearer. The Japan-based pharma estimates the restructuring will affect around 634 U.S. employees, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act notice. Takeda began notifying employees on March 25, the same day it announced a business transformation, which includes streamlining corporate functions. However, the company noted in the WARN notice that the total number affected could change as staff pursue and accept redeployment opportunities across its global network. Takeda's cuts include 247 employees in Cambridge, Massachusetts, effective July 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2027. To understand where other layoffs will take place, BioSpace has requested a copy of a document mentioned in the WARN notice that lists the number of individuals affected by state. In last week's announcement, Takeda noted that the restructuring, which includes "strategically prioritizing resources," is expected to save more than 200 billion yen - about $1.25 billion - by fiscal year 2028. The company explained that the savings will offset investments needed to prepare for multiple launches, including oveporexton, usfertide and zasocitinib; progress the late-stage pipeline; and support strategic technology investments. Takeda announced today promising data for zasocitinib, an oral tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) inhibitor, in adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. In the Phase 3 Latitude PsO 3001 and 3002 studies, more than half of patients treated with the drug candidate achieved clear or almost clear skin at week 16, a key measure of treatment success, according to the pharma. Zasocitinib also demonstrated statistically significant improvements in complete skin clearance. Takeda expects to submit a new drug application for zasocitinib in fiscal year 2026. The pharma acquired zasocitinib from Nimbus Therapeutics for $4 billion at the end of 2022 to challenge Bristol Myers Squibb's kinase inhibitor Sotyktu. Takeda in December 2025 reported positive results from the Phase 3 LATITUDE studies, noting that when compared with placebo and Amgen's Otezla, about 30% of treated patients achieved completely clear skin, or a score of 100 on the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI). The company's latest layoffs join a series of cuts from the past two years. Takeda let go of nearly 1,500 employees in the U.S. and Austria in 2024 and early 2025 and 137 in October 2025. In January, news broke that 243 people would be laid off across its U.S. operations.

Takeda Healthcare Philippines, Inc. wins at Healthcare Asia Pharma Awards 2026. The access programme and advocacy initiative closed affordability gaps for Filipino patients. Takeda Healthcare Philippines, Inc. won Most Differentiated Service of the Year - Philippines and Patient Advocacy Program of the Year - Philippines in the Healthcare Asia Pharma Awards 2026 for its access model that supports patients from disease awareness to therapy completion. In a healthcare system where many patients face delayed diagnosis, long referral pathways, and high out-of-pocket costs, the company built a differentiated and sustainable service anchored on its Patient Assistance Program (PAP). The programme follows a clear principle: therapy completion should not depend on a patient's ability to pay. PAP uses an affordability-based assessment to evaluate each eligible patient's circumstances and set a contribution aligned to what the patient can reasonably afford for the full course of treatment. This structured, patient-level approach supports equity whilst maintaining business viability. It is not a standard discount model but a tailored access scheme designed for Filipino patients and adaptable to changing circumstances. The operating model involves independent third parties assessing financial support needs and informing programme design. Patients share in the cost of treatment, whilst Takeda Healthcare Philippines, Inc. collaborates with local authorities and partners to help cover the remaining cost. The company embeds access within hospital pathways through collaborations with organisations such as the Tzu Chi Foundation, private institutions, and major hospitals, helping reduce out-of-pocket expenses and improve coordination across the patient journey. Join Healthcare Asia Magazine community To date, more than 1,300 Filipino patients have received support through Takeda's access programme, including patients living with Hodgkin lymphoma, inflammatory bowel disease, and other rare conditions. By enabling therapy completion, the programme helps patients return to work or school and resume caregiving roles, reducing the broader social and economic burden of untreated disease. Beyond affordability, the company addresses inequity in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas by working with partners to strengthen patient navigation and connections to appropriate providers and specialists. Through Access to Medicines Summits and partnership frameworks, it also supports patients in accessing available private and government funding. A key milestone in its advocacy efforts is the inclusion of life-saving treatment for rare diseases such as haemophilia in the Philippine National Formulary, enabling free access to essential medicines in government hospitals following partnerships and a positive health technology assessment. The Healthcare Asia Pharma Awards shines a spotlight on the outstanding companies redefining pharmaceutical excellence in Asia. It lauds those who redefine the pharmaceutical landscape through innovative, unique initiatives that have significantly enhanced their businesses. The Healthcare Asia Pharma Awards is presented by Healthcare Asia Magazine. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2027 awards programme and be recognised for your organisation's innovative and unique initiatives that enhanced your business and remarkable contributions to the pharmaceutical industry, please contact Julie Anne Nuñez-Difuntorum at [email protected].