Takeda Pharmaceuticals Shares Rise on Positive Psoriasis Treatment Results
By Jason Chau
Shares of Takeda Pharmaceuticals rose after the Japanese pharmaceutical major announced positive results from clinical trials of its new treatment for plaque psoriasis.
The stock climbed 4.3% in early Tokyo trade Friday to reach a three-month high before pulling back slightly. It is on course for its biggest single-day gain since April.
The benchmark Nikkei Stock Average was last up 1.2%.
Takeda's gains came after it said its drug candidate zasocitinib delivered positive results in Phase 3 studies, the final stage of clinical trials before regulatory approval.
The new drug is designed to treat moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, a condition that causes raised, itchy and painful skin patches covered by scales. An estimated 64 million people globally have psoriasis with 80%-90% of them having plaque psoriasis specifically, medical studies show.
The drug, delivered in a once-a-day pill, achieved complete or near-complete clearance of skin lesions in more than half of the trial participants, Takeda said Thursday.
The drugmaker said it plans to submit a new drug application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the 2026 fiscal year.
"[The results represent] best-in-class data and leaves quite a positive impression, as we believe expectations for the drug were not particularly high," said Citi Research analyst Hidemaru Yamaguchi in a note.
The bank forecasts annual sales of 150 billion yen, or $964.3 million, for the drug, with its launch expected in the fiscal year ending March 2027.
Write to Jason Chau at jason.chau@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
December 18, 2025 22:32 ET (03:32 GMT)
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