Takeda to leave Deerfield; nearly 1,000 jobs affected

Takeda Pharmaceuticals announced it will be closing its Deerfield headquarters and relocating to Boston, affecting nearly 1,000 employees.

A number of those employees will have job and relocation opportunities in the Boston area, Takeda spokeswoman Julia Ellwanger said on Tuesday.

The move will follow “a successful closing of the Shire acquisition,” Ellwanger said in a statement.

Takeda’s parent company, located in Japan, proposed a $62 billion deal to Shire, a biotech company whose U.S. headquarters are in Lexington, Mass.

The deal is pending, awaiting shareholder approvals and regulatory consents.

The exact date of the closing of the Deerfield headquarters was not known. But employees will be notified of their personal outcome within six months, Ellwanger said.

“This move, while difficult, will allow closer collaboration across Takeda to best position our future pipeline for success,” Ellwanger said in the statement. “It will also simplify our existing Takeda U.S operations.”

Lake County leaders were first informed about the closing on Monday.

Deerfield Mayor Harriet Rosenthal expressed disappointment over the move.

“We are disappointed to lose Takeda and its professional employees, but are hopeful the current campus will attract another employer or set of employers…” she said in a statement.

“We valued Takeda as a corporate partner and thank them for their contributions to the Deerfield community.”