Takeda announces new data from Phase 3 studies of TAK-279

Takeda (TAK) announced new data from the two pivotal Phase 3 studies of zasocitinib, TAK-279, a next-generation, highly selective oral tyrosine kinase 2 inhibitor, in adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. Presented as a late-breaking abstract at the 2026 American Academy of Dermatology, AAD, Annual Meeting, these data show that convenient once-daily oral zasocitinib demonstrated rapid and durable skin clearance with a safety profile consistent with Phase 2b studies. In the Phase 3 randomized, multicenter, double-blind, placebo- and active comparator-controlled Latitude PsO 3001 and 3002 studies, more than half of patients treated with zasocitinib achieved clear or almost clear skin at week 16, a key measure of treatment success: 71.4% and 69.2% of patients treated with zasocitinib achieved a static Physician Global Assessment score of 0/1 versus placebo and apremilast at week 16. 61.3% and 51.9% of patients treated with zasocitinib achieved Psoriasis Area and Severity Index 90 versus placebo and apremilast at week 16. Zasocitinib also demonstrated statistically significant improvements in complete skin clearance, an increasingly important treatment goal for patients with plaque psoriasis:39.9% and 33.7% of patients treated with zasocitinib achieved an sPGA score of 0 versus placebo and apremilast at week 16. 33.4% and 25.2% of patients treated with zasocitinib achieved a PASI 100 versus placebo and apremilast at week 16. Responses for co-primary and key secondary endpoints continued to increase through week 24 in both studies.