Biotech Alert: Searches spiking for these stocks today

These names in the biotech sector are seeing a substantial increase in search activity today, as determined by InvestingChannel. They include: 

• Rapt Therapeutics (RAPT), 469% surge in interest
• Citius Pharmaceuticals (CTXR), 283% surge in interest
• Oncolytics Biotech (ONCY), 85% surge in interest

Pipeline and key clinical candidates for these companies:

Rapt Therapeutics is focused on discovering, developing and commercializing oral small molecule therapies for patients with significant unmet needs in inflammatory diseases and oncology. Rapt has discovered and advanced two unique drug candidates, RPT193 and FLX475, each targeting C-C motif chemokine receptor 4, for the treatment of inflammation and cancer, respectively. The company is also pursuing a range of targets that are in the discovery stage of development.

Citius Pharmaceuticals is a late-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of first-in-class critical care products, with a pipeline of anti-infectives in oncology, adjunct cancer care, stem cell therapy and unique prescription products. The company’s “diversified pipeline of therapies targeting unmet medical needs includes three potential first-and-only prescription treatments in their indications, and a next-generation single-donor, allogeneic, clonal and scalable stem cell therapy program,” it says.

Oncolytics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing pelareorep, an intravenously delivered immunotherapeutic agent. Pelareorep has demonstrated “promising” results in two randomized Phase 2 studies in metastatic breast cancer and Phase 1 and 2 studies in pancreatic cancer, the company says. It acts by inducing anti-cancer immune responses and promotes an inflamed tumor phenotype — turning “cold” tumors “hot” — through innate and adaptive immune responses to treat a variety of cancers.

Recent news on these stocks:

November 12

Oncolytics reported Q3 EPS of (12c) against a consensus of (7c). Wayne Pisano, Chair of Oncolytics’ board and interim CEO, stated, “With positive BRACELET-1 results, we have two randomized phase two studies confirming pelareorep’s potential in HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer. After discussions with regulators and key opinion leaders and based on an estimated overall survival benefit of more than a year provided by pelareorep-based therapy, a registration-enabling study that is designed to support an accelerated approval is the next logical step for the development of pelareorep.” Pisano continued, “We continue to develop our gastrointestinal cancer program and look forward to presenting updated efficacy data from our anal cancer cohort and safety data from our new modified FOLFIRNOX pancreatic cancer cohort. Both of these indications represent a significant unmet medical need, and we have shown pelareorep provides the potential to meaningfully improve patient outcomes. This coming year will be critical for pelareorep, as well as for Oncolytics, and I’ve never been more confident in the potential pelareorep can deliver to cancer patients in need.” The company reported a cash position of $19.6M as of September 30, and has a projected cash runway through key milestones and into 2025.

November 11

RAPT Therapeutics announced it is terminating its zelnecirnon program. Zelnecirnon was being evaluated in two randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 2 clinical trials in asthma and atopic dermatitis, and both trials were placed on clinical hold by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in February 2024 due to a serious adverse event of liver injury requiring transplant in one patient in the AD trial. No liver toxicity nor other treatment-related SAEs were reported in any other trial participant. The company subsequently closed both studies before completing the planned enrollment. Following feedback recently received from the FDA, the company has stopped its zelnecirnon program. “In light of the agency’s feedback, we do not see a viable path forward for zelnecirnon, although we continue to believe that CCR4 remains an exciting target with the potential to provide a safe, oral therapeutic option across a number of inflammatory diseases,” commented Brian Wong, M.D., Ph.D., President and CEO of RAPT. “We plan to continue advancing our next generation CCR4 compounds with improved safety margins for inflammatory disease and expect to identify a new candidate in the first half of 2025. Additionally, we continue to actively pursue in-licensing opportunities for clinical-stage assets.”

Citius Pharmaceuticals and Citius Oncology (CTOR) announced “promising” preliminary results from an ongoing investigator-initiated Phase I clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of a combined regimen of pembrolizumab and lymphir in patients with recurrent solid tumors. The trial aims to identify an optimal dose for future trials and explore the impact of a treatment regimen combining pembrolizumab and lymphir on the tumor immune microenvironment. Pembrolizumab, developed by Merck (MRK) and sold under the brand name keytruda, is the leading PD-1 inhibitor. The results of this chemotherapy-free regimen combining two immuno-modulator agents, pembrolizumab and lymphir demonstrated: an overall response rate of 27% – 4/15 – and a clinical benefit rate of 33% among evaluable patients; and median progression-free survival for patients achieving clinical benefit of 57 weeks. Two of the four patients who achieved partial remission had received prior checkpoint inhibitors. The trial enrolled 21 patients with recurrent or metastatic solid tumors. Among the evaluable participants, four patients achieved a partial response, and one patient demonstrated durable stable disease lasting over six months. The combination regimen was generally well tolerated, with most adverse events related to the patients’ underlying disease. No significant immune-related adverse events were observed.

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About “Biotech Alert”

The Fly will report on a selection of biotech stocks seeing a surge in interest from retail and financial professional investors, based on data from InvestingChannel.

This Fly exclusive recap reveals the biotech stocks that are seeing a spike in searches among the 20-plus million retail and financial professional investors through InvestingChannel’s online financial news media ecosystem.

This increased attention from the investors may be in response to, or advance of, outsized moves for stocks in the biotech sector, which tend to be volatile and prone to sharp swings in share price around binary events such as clinical study results and FDA approvals.