Astellas Pharma, a Tokyo-based pharmaceutical company, is closing its Seattle office for Universal Cells, its wholly owned subsidiary that creates engineered allogeneic stem cells2
Approximately 50 employees will be affected by the closure, though some may be offered internal transfer opportunities to other Astellas locations2
The workforce reduction will occur in multiple waves beginning July 1, 2026, and ending April 1, 20282
Cell and gene therapy and oncology research activities from Seattle will be consolidated into Astellas' existing sites in South San Francisco, California, and Westborough, Massachusetts2
Only a handful of affected Seattle employees will be relocated to these offices, with the remainder set to lose their jobs3
Astellas acquired Universal Cells in 2018 for $102.5 million to secure its Universal Donor Cell technology, which enables cell therapy products without human leukocyte antigen matching requirements3
This closure represents the second workforce reduction at Universal Cells' Seattle location, following 24 role eliminations in late 2024 when Astellas opened a second Universal Cells location in Tsukuba, Japan2
The company stated the decision is part of efforts to align its research and development organization for long-term sustainability, improve research footprint efficiency, and strengthen scientific collaboration2
Sources:
2. https://www.biospace.com/job-trends/50-employees-impacted-as-astellas-closes-universal-cells-seattle-office
3. https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/astellas-close-stem-cell-units-seattle-site-layoffs-incoming