Japan, Feb. 2 -- based pharmaceutical firm Takeda and US-based Protagonist Therapeutics have inked a global license and collaboration agreement for the development and commercialisation of rusfertide, an investigational injectable hepcidin mimetic peptide designed to mimic the natural hormone hepcidin.

Rusfertide is currently undergoing a pivotal Phase 3 trial, VERIFY, for the treatment of Polycythemia Vera (PV), a rare chronic blood disorder characterised by the overproduction of red blood cells, affecting approximately 160,000 patients in the US and a similar number in Europe.

As per the agreement's terms, Protagonist will receive an upfront payment of $300 million, along with potential additional payments linked to global development...