Takeda has expanded its psoriasis treatment portfolio after completing its acquisition of Nimbus Lakshmi from Nimbus Therapeutics in a deal worth up to $6 billion.

Under the agreement, which was announced on December 13, 2022, Takeda will acquire TAK-279, formerly known at Nimbus as NDI-034858. With Phase 2b data to be presented in the fourth quarter of FY2022 and Phase 3 study in psoriasis expected to start in 2023, TAK-279 has the potential to demonstrate best-in-class efficacy, safety and convenience in psoriasis, according to a Takeda news release. The drug candidate is also being evaluated in multiple other immune-mediated diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease, psoriatic arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus.

“With our plan to acquire announced in December, we are excited to have promptly added TAK-279, a highly selective oral TYK2 inhibitor with truly transformative potential for patients in multiple diseases, to our late-stage pipeline,” Ramona Sequeira, president, global portfolio division, at Takeda, said in a company news release. “This program closely aligns with our strategy and expertise in immune-mediated diseases, and we look forward to sharing more details of our development plans soon.”

Under the terms of the agreement, Takeda will pay Nimbus approximately $4 billion upfront, plus two milestone payments to Nimbus of $1 billion each upon achieving annual net sales of $4 billion and $5 billion of products developed from the TAK-279 program.