Five months after Takeda announced it was formally integrating its R&D efforts in South San Francisco and San Diego into a single entity, the Japanese pharma company dropped the news that it will now shutter its Bay Area ops and move its most essential staffers and technology down south into an expanded "center of excellence."
Putting its scientists in one spot will help "enhance communication and collaboration," noted Takeda, as they pursue new antibodies and small molecules for cancer, immunology and metabolic disease. The company went on to tout its technology, boasting of X-ray crystallography work and its antibody-drug conjugates.
"This decision supports our continuous efforts to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of Takeda's global research activities," said Paul Chapman, senior vice president of Takeda's Pharmaceutical Research Division, in a statement. "Takeda California, with its broad and flexible drug discovery capabilities, is an important asset and contributor to Takeda's productivity."
Ron Leuty at the San Francisco Business Times noted that Takeda's San Francisco chief, Mary Haak-Frendscho, recently took a new job at Compugen. There's no word on the ultimate fate of Takeda's non-essential employees, or how many will be let go in the consolidation. The Business Times noted that at one point there were 65 workers at the site, at a time when Takeda was projecting employment to hit 100.
- here's the press release
- get the report from the San Francisco Business Times
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