An expert in hepatitis delta virus said Vir Biotechnology Inc.’s phase II findings with the monoclonal antibody tobevibart and the small interfering ribonucleic acid elebsiran in chronic disease could lead to a “change [in] the entire care cascade and paradigm.” Shares of Vir (NASDAQ:VIR) ended June 5 at $12.66, up $2.08, or 19.7%, on the clinical news.
Annexon Inc.’s stock (NASDAQ:ANNX) climbed 31% June 4 following news that a single infusion of C1q protein complex inhibitor ANX-005 at the 30-mg/kg dose delivered a statistically significant 2.4-fold improvement in Guillain-Barré syndrome patients. Shares closed at $5.99, up $1.41.
Bridgebio Pharma Inc.’s data from the phase II study with infigratinib in achondroplasia “swings the pendulum of debate sharply in favor” of the firm, competing with Biomarin Pharmaceutical Inc. in the space, Leerink analyst Mani Foroohar said in a report.
Neuren Pharmaceuticals Ltd.’s NNZ-2591 met the primary endpoints in a phase II trial in children with Pitt Hopkins syndrome, with improvements seen in communication, social interaction, cognition and motor abilities, according to top-line results.
Miami-headquartered Summit Therapeutics Inc. expanded rights to Akeso Inc.’s non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) drug, ivonescimab (SMT-112; AK-112), June 3 while raising $200 million to advance the therapy.
While there was much talk about the vast potential of artificial intelligence (AI) during one of the world’s largest research cancer conferences, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) continued to grab the lion’s share of attention as Corbus Pharmaceuticals Holdings Inc. and Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. released new and positive data.
Although details are scant, Akeso Pharmaceuticals Inc. reported that its PD-1/VEGF bispecific antibody, ivonescimab (AK-112), demonstrated statistically significant superiority as a first-line therapy for PD-L1-positive non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) compared to Merck and Co. Inc.’s Keytruda (pembrolizumab).
Astrazeneca plc’s blockbuster Enhertu continued to garner attention as new data released at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting show the antibody-drug conjugate demonstrated strong progression-free survival in metastatic breast cancer patients. Puma Biotechnology Inc. had advances of its own at ASCO with new biomarker findings from a phase II study of alisertib, an aurora protein kinase 2 inhibitor, in endocrine-resistant metastatic breast cancer.
Shares of Structure Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:GPCR) were trading up more than 54%, gaining $18.54 to close June 3 at $52.74, on the back of data for GSBR-1290, an oral, GLP-1 receptor agonist it hopes to position in the highly competitive obesity market. The latest readout sees the company regaining ground lost late in 2023 when earlier phase IIa data prompted unflattering comparisons to more advanced oral GLP-1 candidates.
While Servier Pharmaceuticals LLC awaits this summer’s PDUFA date for the IDH-mutant glioma drug vorasidenib, acquired in the buyout of oncology assets from Agios Pharmaceuticals Inc., the latter unveiled positive data from a global phase III study with oral mitapivat in adults with transfusion-dependent alpha- or beta-thalassemia.
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