Takeda Rises After AI-Developed Psoriasis Pill Trial Success

(Bloomberg) -- Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. rose the most in seven months on Friday after the drugmaker said its oral psoriasis drug zasocitinib proved safe and effective in late-stage trials, marking a milestone in its effort to treat the incurable skin condition.

The stock rose as much as 4.3% in early Tokyo trading, the biggest intraday gain since May 13. 

More than half of patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis saw their condition almost completely disappear and about 30% saw it fully disappear after 16 weeks of treatment compared with a placebo or the existing therapy apremilast, the company said Thursday. 

Takeda plans to submit data to the US Food and Drug Administration and other regulators beginning in fiscal 2026.

“This represents best-in-class data and leaves quite a positive impression,”  Hidemaru Yamaguchi, an equities analyst at Citigroup Global Markets Japan Inc., said in a note to clients. “Expectations for the drug was not particularly high.”

If approved, zasocitinib would join a small but growing group of oral psoriasis treatments — long a market dominated by ointments and injectable antibody therapies — and stand out as one of the first drugs discovered with the help of artificial intelligence. 

Algorithms significantly accelerated the identification of zasocitinib from a vast pool of molecules for testing, according to Jeb Keiper, chief executive officer at Nimbus Therapeutics LLC, which discovered the medicine.

Takeda bought zasocitinib, also known as TAK-279, from Boston-based Nimbus in 2023 for $4 billion upfront plus up to $2 billion in milestone payments. The therapy is part of Takeda’s strategy to cushion an expected sales decline once its blockbuster ulcerative colitis drug Entyvio faces generic competition.    

Citi’s Yamaguchi says the drug will generate annual sales of ¥150 billion ($964 million) at its peak, and per-share value of ¥750. 

The global psoriasis treatment market, valued at $27 billion in 2024, is projected to nearly double to $58 billion by 2032, according to research firm Fortune Business Insights. Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune disorder that causes rashes marked by itchy, scaly rashes and afflicts more than 125 million people worldwide.

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