Swedish biopharmaceutical company Sobi has agreed to acquire late-stage biotechnology firm Arthrosi Therapeutics in a deal valued at up to $1.5 billion. Under the agreement, Sobi will pay $950 million in cash upfront with up to an additional $550 million contingent on clinical and regulatory milestones. The move is designed to strengthen Sobi’s presence in inflammatory and specialty care by adding Arthrosi’s leading gout treatment candidate, an investigational once-daily oral URAT1 inhibitor called pozdeutinurad.

Pozdeutinurad is currently being evaluated in two fully recruited global Phase 3 trials for the management of progressive and tophaceous gout, with key data expected in 2026. If successful, the therapy could offer a new option for patients whose symptoms persist despite first-line urate lowering therapies. Sobi’s chief executive said the acquisition broadens its pipeline and could accelerate long-term growth.

The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2026, subject to customary closing conditions, and positions Sobi as a stronger competitor in next-generation gout therapies.