Japan-based Takara Bio revealed major “structural reforms” due to a slumping life science research market and a decline in CDMO orders.
Takara, which operates a research reagents and instruments business as well as a CDMO unit, is making reforms aimed at profit improvement. According, the company will halt in-house clinical development projects for gene therapy and withdraw from GMP cell processing contract manufacturing. The CDMO business will instead concentrate on manufacturing nucleic acids, proteins and other modalities.
The cuts also include a management overhaul, where the company will reduce the number of directors from nine to three, and implement reductions and voluntary returns of executive compensation. Takara says it will solicit approximately 120 voluntary retirements.
Takara has R&D and GMP manufacturing sites in Japan, GMP stem cell facilities in Sweden, European headquarters in France and U.S headquarters in California. Going forward, Tarara plans to close the Sweden site.
Takara Bio shareholders approved a drastic share consolidation that will shrink its 120 million-plus shares to just six and trigger delisting from the Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market in mid-June 2026.
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