Massachusetts largest biotech company files for second round of layoffs, over 800 affected [Video]

Takeda Pharmaceutical Inc., Massachusetts’ largest biotech company, announced a second round of layoffs late last month bringing the total number of employees affected to 861 in 2024, according to a state database.

The company, which specializes in medications to treat rare diseases and cancer, employed 6,290 employees in the commonwealth as of 2022. It is among the top 14 largest biotech companies in the United States, according to Takeda. The layoffs represent about 13.6% of the company’s workforce.

Takeda filed its first Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notice in May announcing 641 employees in Massachusetts would be laid off between July and March 2025 — 495 of which are based in Cambridge and 146 in Lexington.

• Read more: Ex-Takeda Pharmaceutical employee pleads guilty to $2.3M embezzlement scheme

The company filed for a second round of layoffs on June 28, announcing 189 more employees in Cambridge and 31 more employees in Lexington would be affected by layoffs between August and March …