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The Japanese pharmaceutical manufacturer Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. will close its US headquarters in Deerfield, a complex of three buildings employing 1,000 people, and will transfer work to the Boston area.
The company informed employees Monday of its plans. Takeda has 5,000 US employees.
In a statement, Takeda spokeswoman Julia Ellwanger said that a number of Deerfield employees will be offered jobs elsewhere, but she did not specify how many.
The decision comes as Takeda works to finalize the acquisition of Irish drug maker Shire for $ 62.4 billion in cash and shares.
"The work currently being done on the Takeda Deerfield site will progressively consolidate from Deerfield in the Boston area following the successful closing of the Shire acquisition (subject to shareholder approval and regulatory approvals)," said Ellwanger. . "This decision, while difficult, will allow for closer collaboration within Takeda to better position our future pipeline. It will also simplify our existing Takeda operations in the United States. "
The Shire deal is expected to be completed in the first half of 2019. Employees will be informed within six months of closing the agreement that they will still be employed at Takeda, Ellwanger said. Takeda had previously announced its intention to reduce up to 7% of its global workforce after the acquisition.
But even as this deal collapses, Takeda is still waiting to move gradually from Deerfield to the greater Boston area, Ellwanger said. She refused to make Takeda's leaders available for interviews on Tuesday.
The Shire agreement has met with some resistance since its announcement in May. Kazu Takeda, a family member who founded the company, recently said that the deal would have "disastrous" consequences for Takeda and could move it away from the company's business philosophy. "Takeda-ism," which says profit according to the Financial Times. Kazu Takeda is part of a group of shareholders fighting the proposed deal, according to the Times.
Deerfield Mayor Harriet Rosenthal said on Tuesday that the village was sorry to see the company move its activities elsewhere. "It's sad that they chose to leave Deerfield," Rosenthal said. "They were good community partners and we will miss them, and for employees who will be relocating or losing their jobs, we are sorry to see them leave."
At this point, the economic impact of the loss is unknown, she added. "We do not know exactly how many people in the village," said Rosenthal. "Those who have shopped here or eaten at restaurants, we regret that they do not do it.We hope that someone will take control of these beautiful buildings."
Takeda is housed in three buildings and more than 777,000 square feet in Deerfield, visible from Interstate 294. The real estate group of the company will make recommendations to business leaders on building construction after the conclusion of the Shire agreement .
Crain's Chicago Business first reported Takeda's decision.
The announcement is not a total surprise. Some of Takeda's US operations have already been consolidated in the Boston area in recent years. It also has a government affairs office in Washington, DC, a manufacturing facility in Minnesota and a research center in San Diego. The company does not intend to close any of these sites, Ellwanger said.
In May, Ramona Sequeira, chairman of Takeda's US business unit, told The Tribune that the future of the company in Deerfield was uncertain, saying Takeda had not yet decided to keep its offices in Deerfield.
More soon.
Steve Sadin, a freelancer at Pioneer Press, contributed.
Twitter @lschencker
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