Massachusetts’ largest biopharma employer Takeda to lay off 137 people in Cambridge with cell therapy cuts

A major pharmaceutical company will be laying off more than 100 people at multiple Cambridge locations next year.

Takeda Pharmaceuticals is cutting 137 employees as it ceases work on cell therapy technology, according to a Massachusetts Workers Adjustment Retraining Notice filed with the state on Oct. 1. The layoffs will take effect between Jan. 1 and July 31 of 2026.

“As part of a strategic portfolio prioritization, we have made the decision to discontinue our cell therapy efforts,” the company told the Boston Globe . “This will enable us to focus on areas with the greatest potential to deliver transformative therapies to patients with increased speed and scale.”

The Japanese company’s United States headquarters is in Cambridge, but it is the largest biopharmaceutical employer in M