Takeda announced its decision to discontinue its cell therapy efforts as a part of its strategic portfolio prioritization process. The company is expected to seek out an external partner to assist in leveraging its cell therapy platform technologies, along with advancing the company’s research and clinic-ready programs in this field.¹ As of now, Takeda no active clinical trials involving cell therapy technology.

What’s next for Takeda?

Takeda is aiming to shift its focus onto near-term investments for programs that it believes has potential to deliver transformative therapies for patients at an accelerated pace and scale.¹ Takeda’s preclinical programs utilizing in-focus modalities, such as small molecules, biologics, and antibody-drug conjugates, are anticipated to advance innovative therapeutic candidates, and take precedent. Takeda’s preclinical research programs will continue to benefit from the insights gained from its cell therapy research.¹

Takeda is anticipating an impairment loss of approximately $395 million by the second quarter of the fiscal year on March 31, 2026, primarily related to intangible assets associated with the gamma delta T-cell therapy platform.¹ The financial impact is expected to be softened by the $340 million of impairment losses on intangible assets associated with products, such as in-process R&D (which is included in Takeda's full-year consolidated forecast for FY2025, and was announced back in May of this year). Takeda will continue to assess additional related impacts and, if deemed necessary, is expected to reflect them in the second quarter financial results and full-year consolidated forecast, scheduled to be announced on October 30, 2025.¹

What were Takeda’s cell therapy efforts?

Takeda's gamma delta T-cell platform headlined its cell therapy efforts and was acquired through the 2021 purchase of GammaDelta Therapeutics, which followed a multi-year collaboration beginning back in 2017.²Additionally, Takeda acquired Adaptate Biotherapeutics to further accelerate development of gamma delta T-cell-based therapies in 2022, with the immune cells being originally explored for their potential to treat both solid tumors and blood cancers, Takeda now plans to redirect resources to other parts of its pipeline.

Takeda has now shifted its priority to six drug candidates, including elritercept for anemia in blood cancers, which is being tested in late-stage trials and is expected to bring in an estimated combined peak sales of $10 billion to $20 billion, according to Takeda CEO, Christophe Weber, who discussed the topic earlier this year at an investor conference.

Who is Takeda?

Takeda describes its focus as being on creating better health for people and a brighter future for the world, while aiming to discover and deliver life-transforming treatments, core therapeutics, and business areas, including gastrointestinal and inflammation, rare diseases, plasma-derived therapies, oncology, neuroscience and vaccines.¹ Takeda’s partnerships aim to improve the patient experience, while simultaneously advancing new treatment options through its extensive pipeline.

Sources

1. Takeda Provides Update on Cell Therapy Research Takeda October 1, 2025 https://www.takeda.com/newsroom/statements/2025/takeda-provides-update-on-cell-therapy-research/
2. Takeda Pharmaceutical to exit cell therapy research Reuters October 1, 2025 https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/takeda-pharmaceutical-exit-cell-therapy-research-2025-10-01/