Pharma giant Takeda to cut 4,500 jobs across global business

Takeda Pharmaceutical is set to cut around 4,500 jobs in fiscal 2026 as the Japanese drugmaker intensifies a sweeping restructuring programme aimed at centralising operations and reducing costs across its global business, as announced by Reuters.

The move marks another major step in the company’s long-running transformation following its $62 billion acquisition of Shire in 2019. A deal that significantly expanded its international footprint but also left it grappling with rising debt and operational complexity.

In its fourth-quarter earnings presentation released on Wednesday, the firm said the restructuring is expected to deliver annual savings of more than 200 billion yen ($1.27 billion) by fiscal 2028. Around 100 billion yen in savings is expected to be realised in fiscal 2026 alone.

A Takeda spokesperson told Reuters that the planned cuts represent “less than 10%” of the company’s global workforce and stressed that the restructuring would not halt recruitment activity.

The company currently has about 2,200 open roles and expects to create new jobs during the year, which it will prioritise to fill with internal candidates, the spokesperson said.

Launch ambitions

Despite the workforce reduction, the company is continuing to invest heavily in its drug pipeline as it prepares for several high-profile product launches over the next 12 to 18 months.

The firm expects higher selling, general and administrative expenses, alongside increased research and development spending, linked to upcoming launches including narcolepsy treatment oveporexton, blood disorder drug rusfertide and psoriasis pill zasocitinib.

However, much of its increased spending would be offset through the restructuring programme.

An anticipated restructuring costs of around 170 billion yen in fiscal 2026, with lower costs expected over the following two years.

Investor attention

According to Stephen Barker, investor, Jefferies attention is likely to shift towards Takeda’s late-stage pipeline and the commercial potential of its upcoming medicines.

“Investor focus is likely to shift to three late-stage product launches expected over the next 12-18 months,” Barker said.

The announcement also comes amid broader restructuring across the global pharmaceutical sector. 

In September, Novo Nordisk announced plans to slash 9,000 jobs as competition intensifies with US rival Eli Lilly.

Earlier this month, Takeda reported that its immune disease drug had met the main goal in a mid-to late-stage study, with the company planning to seek approval in the United States later this year.