DUBLIN, Ireland — Horizon Pharma plc has acquired the U.S. rights to arthritis treatment Pennsaid 2% from Nuvo Research Inc.

Horizon said Friday that it expects to begin selling Pennsaid 2% in early January and plans to include the drug in the Prescriptions Made Easy (PME) specialty pharmacy program to ensure patients receive the medication at a reasonable out-of-pocket cost.

Under the deal, Horizon paid Nuvo $45 million in cash for the U.S. rights to Pennsaid 2%, including intellectual property and other assets required to commercialize the product in the United States. Horizon also entered into an eight-year, exclusive supply agreement with Nuvo.

Pennsaid 2% (diclofenac sodium topical solution) was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in mid-January for the treatment of the pain of osteoarthritis of the knee. The medication is a second-generation version of Pennsaid 1.5% .

Effective Jan. 1, Pennsaid 1.5% w/w will no longer be marketed in the United States, according to Horizon. Nuvo will retain its existing ex-U.S. rights to Pennsaid 1.5% and Pennsaid 2%.

"The addition of Pennsaid 2% strengthens and diversifies our primary care portfolio of products," stated Timothy Walbert, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Horizon Pharma. "We plan to leverage our business model and existing commercial infrastructure to accelerate the net sales trajectory of Pennsaid 2%. This transaction fits our business development strategy, which is focused on acquiring underappreciated products with differentiated clinical benefits and an extended proprietary life."

Horizon added that Pennsaid 2% brings a third nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) product to its portfolio that is topical and complementary to Vimovo and Duexis.