Takeda Exits Cell Therapy Arena in Strategic Shift, Reflecting Industry Trend

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company has announced its withdrawal from the cell therapy field as part of a strategic portfolio reprioritization. This move, revealed on October 1, 2025, aligns with a broader industry trend of major pharmaceutical companies reassessing their involvement in cell therapy development.

Takeda's Strategic Realignment

The Japanese drugmaker is actively seeking a partner to take over its cell therapy platform and undisclosed preclinical programs. This decision narrows Takeda's focus to three primary modalities: small molecules, biologics, and antibody-drug conjugates.

The exit from cell therapy is expected to result in an impairment loss of approximately 58 billion Japanese yen (about $394 million), primarily attributed to the gamma delta T-cell therapy platform acquired from GammaDelta Therapeutics in 2021. This acquisition had previously provided Takeda with a pipeline of four assets for various cancers, including GDX012, an allogeneic gamma delta T cell therapy that was in phase 1/2 testing for acute myeloid leukemia earlier this year.

Industry-Wide Shift in Cell Therapy Approach

Takeda's decision reflects a broader trend in the pharmaceutical industry. Several major players have recently scaled back their cell therapy initiatives:

1. Novo Nordisk terminated a $598 million cardiovascular cell therapy collaboration with Heartseed.
2. Gilead's Kite and Roche's Genentech have both ended cell therapy deals valued at over $2 billion each.

Despite these setbacks, some companies are still pursuing innovative approaches in the field. Kite, for instance, recently made a $350 million investment in the in vivo CAR-T space by acquiring Interius BioTherapeutics.

Takeda's Ongoing Restructuring Efforts

This latest move is part of Takeda's broader restructuring strategy. In May 2025, the company halved its oncology pipeline, discontinuing three early-stage candidates. This followed a comprehensive $900 million restructure in 2024, prompted by declining profits and generic competition for its ADHD drug Vyvanse.

Takeda aims to redirect investments towards programs that can "deliver transformative therapies to patients at increased speed and scale," according to the company's statement. The pharmaceutical giant maintains that its preclinical research programs will continue to benefit from insights gained through cell therapy research.

As the cell therapy field experiences what some analysts describe as a "boom-and-bust cycle," Takeda's strategic pivot underscores the ongoing challenges and evolving landscape of pharmaceutical research and development.