Johnson & Johnson plans to pay $1.25 billion for the rights to an experimental eczema treatment.

The New Brunswick-based pharma giant announced the all-cash deal May 29. Under the terms, the company will acquire NM23. Numab Therapeutics is preparing the bispecific antibody to put into mid-stage clinical studies.

The treatment targets two proteins that cause the itchiness and inflammation associated with atopic dermatitis (AD). According to J&J, that gives it the potential to transform the standard of care for the condition.

AD affects more than 102.8 million children and 101.3 million adults worldwide. It causes skin inflammation and damage to the skin barrier, leaving it dry, itchy and prone to skin infections. According to J&J, current therapies fall short of delivering relief, with 70% of patients not achieving a symptom-free remission.

J&J also believes NM26 could be effective in treating other inflammatory skin diseases.

David Lee is global immunology therapeutic head for J&J. “To deliver durable, symptom-free remission for the millions of people living with AD, our medicines need to be tailored to target multiple disease-driving pathways in different patient subpopulations,” he said in a statement.

“That’s why we are committed to developing differentiated bispecifics that combine the targeting of two distinct disease-driving pathways. NM26 has the potential to deliver a treatment specifically for patients who have inflamed skin associated with intense itching,” Lee said.

The next chapter

Subject to antitrust clearance and other customary closing conditions, J&J expects to complete the transaction by the second half of 2024.

It marks the company’s second acquisition this month of a target focused on eczema treatment.

On May 16, J&J announced an $850 million deal to acquire California biotech Proteologix. That agreement involved a collection of bispecific immunology meds in development for moderate to severe atopic dermatitis.

Candice Long, J&J’s worldwide vice president, Immunology, commented, “Our goal is to deliver transformational efficacy for all patients living with immune mediated diseases like AD.”

“Our investment in differentiated bispecifics is the next chapter in our impactful Immunology legacy,” Long went on to say. “It reinforces our commitment to address unmet medical needs by leveraging patient insights and our deep disease expertise.”