By Colin Kellaher

Amgen and Kyowa Kirin are pulling the plug on a collaboration the drugmakers launched in 2021 aimed at developing a treatment for the inflammatory skin disease atopic dermatitis.

Kyowa Kirin on Friday said the move is due to a strategic portfolio prioritization by Amgen, adding that it will regain control of the global program for the drug candidate, rocatinlimab, including regulatory filings and future commercialization.

Amgen in 2021 made an upfront payment of $400 million to Kyowa Kirin as part of an agreement to jointly develop and commercialize rocatinlimab for atopic dermatitis, with potential in other autoimmune diseases.

Kyowa Kirin, which discovered rocatinlimab, said it remains committed to developing the drug, currently in Phase 3 studies, and that it plans to file for regulatory approval in the U.S. later this year.

Amgen will continue to manufacture rocatinlimab, Kyowa Kirin said.

Thousand Oaks, Calif., biotechnology company Amgen and Japan-based specialty pharmaceutical company have been working together since 1984.

Write to Colin Kellaher at colin.kellaher@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 30, 2026 08:39 ET (13:39 GMT)

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