Japanese drug company Takeda has decided to stop working on cell therapy, a type of treatment that uses patients’ own cells to fight diseases like cancer. This change is part of Takeda’s plan to focus on other treatments in its portfolio. As a result, 137 jobs will be lost at its research and development site in Massachusetts, US. This decision is a big change for Takeda, as cell therapy was once a key part of its cancer treatment plans. Now, the company will focus more on other treatments like antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), biologics, and small molecules in six main areas of health. Even though Takeda is stopping its own cell therapy programs, it hopes to find a partner to continue using its cell therapy technology. This partner would also help advance Takeda’s research and ready-to-use cell therapy treatments. Takeda’s decision will save money but also means a loss of Y58bn ($394m) due to the end of its GDX012 therapy. This therapy was meant to treat solid tumors and blood cancers. The company had high hopes for GDX012 when it bought GammaDelta Therapeutics, the creator of the therapy, four years ago. However, a trial for the drug in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) was stopped. Takeda is not the only company moving away from cell and gene therapies (CGT). Other big pharma companies like Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Roche-owned Genentech, and Bayer have also pulled out of deals in this area this year. However, these companies are still working with partners to advance their positions in CGT. Meanwhile, other companies like Gilead, AbbVie, and AstraZeneca are investing heavily in CGT. In vivo CAR-T therapy, a type of cell therapy, has been getting a lot of attention lately. Experts believe it could become more popular than other types of cell therapy because it can reduce high manufacturing costs and long wait times.