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:

• Citius Pharmaceuticals (CTXR), 552% surge in interest
• GlycoMimetics (GLYC), 473% surge in interest
• aTyr Pharma (ATYR), 455% surge in interest
• Xeris Biopharma (XERS), 411% surge in interest
• Krystal Biotech (KRYS), 347% surge in interest
• Allogene Therapeutics (ALLO), 336% surge in interest
• Bio-Path (BPTH), 319% surge in interest
• TNF Pharmaceuticals (TNFA), 313% surge in interest

Pipeline and key clinical candidates for these companies:

Citius Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development and commercialization of first-in-class critical care products. In August 2024, the FDA approved LYMPHIR, a targeted immunotherapy for an initial indication in the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Citius Pharma’s late-stage pipeline also includes Mino-Lok, an antibiotic lock solution to salvage catheters in patients with catheter-related bloodstream infections, and CITI-002, a topical formulation for the relief of hemorrhoids. A Pivotal Phase 3 Trial for Mino-Lok and a Phase 2b trial for Halo-Lido were completed in 2023. Mino-Lok met primary and secondary endpoints of its Phase 3 Trial. Citius is actively engaged with the FDA to outline next steps for both programs. Citius Pharma owns 92% of Citius Oncology.

GlycoMimetics is a late clinical-stage biotechnology company discovering and developing glycobiology-based therapies for cancers, including AML, and for inflammatory diseases. The company’s scientific approach is based on an understanding of the role that carbohydrates play in cell recognition. Its specialized chemistry platform can be used to discover small molecule drugs, known as glycomimetics, that alter carbohydrate-mediated recognition in diverse disease states, including cancers and inflammation. The company’s goal is to develop transformative therapies for diseases with high unmet medical need.

aTyr is a clinical stage biotechnology company leveraging evolutionary intelligence to translate tRNA synthetase biology into new therapies for fibrosis and inflammation. tRNA synthetases are ancient, essential proteins that have evolved novel domains that regulate diverse pathways extracellularly in humans. aTyr’s discovery platform is focused on unlocking hidden therapeutic intervention points by uncovering signaling pathways driven by its proprietary library of domains derived from all 20 tRNA synthetases. aTyr’s lead therapeutic candidate is efzofitimod, a first-in-class biologic immunomodulator in clinical development for the treatment of interstitial lung disease, a group of immune-mediated disorders that can cause inflammation and progressive fibrosis, or scarring, of the lungs.

Xeris is a growth-oriented biopharmaceutical company committed to improving patients’ lives by developing and commercializing innovative products across a range of therapies. Xeris has three commercially available products: Recorlev, for the treatment of endogenous Cushing’s syndrome; Gvoke, a ready-to-use liquid glucagon for the treatment of severe hypoglycemia; and Keveyis, a proven therapy for primary periodic paralysis. Xeris also has a pipeline of development programs led by XP-8121, a Phase 3-ready, once-weekly subcutaneous injection for hypothyroidism, as well as multiple early-stage programs leveraging Xeris’ technology platforms, XeriSol and XeriJect, for its partners.

Krystal Biotech is a commercial-stage biotechnology company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of genetic medicines to treat diseases with high unmet medical needs. VYJUVEK is the company’s first commercial product, the first-ever redosable gene therapy, and the first medicine approved by the FDA for the treatment of dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa. The Company is rapidly advancing a robust preclinical and clinical pipeline of investigational genetic medicines in respiratory, oncology, dermatology, ophthalmology, and aesthetics. Krystal Biotech is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Allogene Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering the development of allogeneic chimeric antigen receptor T cell products for cancer and autoimmune disease. Led by a management team with significant experience in cell therapy, Allogene is developing a pipeline of “off-the-shelf” CAR T cell product candidates with the goal of delivering readily available cell therapy on-demand, more reliably, and at greater scale to more patients.

Bio-Path is a biotechnology company developing DNAbilize, a novel technology that has yielded a pipeline of RNAi nanoparticle drugs that can be administered with a simple intravenous infusion. Bio-Path’s lead product candidate is in a Phase 2 study for blood cancers, and BP1001-A, a drug product modification of prexigebersen, is in a Phase 1/1b study for solid tumors. The Company’s second product, BP1002, which targets the Bcl-2 protein, is being evaluated for the treatment of blood cancers and solid tumors, including acute myeloid leukemia. In addition, an IND application is expected to be filed for BP1003, a novel liposome-incorporated STAT3 antisense oligodeoxynucleotide developed by Bio-Path as a specific inhibitor of STAT3.

TNF Pharmaceuticals, a clinical stage pharmaceutical company committed to extending healthy lifespan, is focused on developing two novel therapeutic platforms that treat the causes of disease rather than only addressing the symptoms. Isomyosamine is a drug platform based on a clinical stage small molecule that regulates the immune system to control TNF-α, which drives chronic inflammation, and other pro-inflammatory cell signaling cytokines. Isomyosamine is being developed to treat diseases and disorders marked by acute or chronic inflammation. The Company’s second drug platform, Supera-CBD, is being developed to treat chronic pain, addiction and epilepsy. Supera-CBD is a novel synthetic derivative of cannabidiol and is being developed to address and improve upon the rapidly growing CBD market, which includes both FDA approved drugs and CBD products not currently regulated as drugs.

Recent news on these stocks:

February 20

Citi raised the firm’s price target on Krystal Biotech to $215 from $206 and kept a Neutral rating on the shares following the Q4 report. The firm says the Vyjuvek launch continues to mature while the company’s pipeline serves as an “upside lever.”

February 19

Krystal Biotech reported Q4 EPS of $1.52, with consensus at $1.85, and Q4 revenue of $91.1M, with consensus of $91.35M. “Last year, our commercial and financial strength allowed us to deliver significant earnings growth, continue to build out a global footprint, and advance multiple clinical stage programs from our industry-leading HSV-1 based gene delivery platform,” said Krish S. Krishnan, Chairman and CEO of Krystal Biotech. “Building on this foundation, our focus in 2025 will be on executing the global launch of VYJUVEK and progressing our rare disease and oncology programs through key milestones to bring our redosable genetic medicines closer to patients.” Krystal Biotech sees non-GAAP R&D and SG&A expense between $150.0M-$175.0M.

Chardan raised the firm’s price target on Krystal Biotech to $218 from $212 and kept a Buy rating on the shares after the company reported Q4 results and provided an update on the Vyjuvek launch. The company highlighted its efforts to increase awareness in patients and expand the prescriber base for Vyuvek, including holding webinars with patients and prescribers, and equipping the sales team with new promotional material emphasizing the long-term safety and efficacy of Vyjuvek, the firm tells investors in a research note. Chardan added that is rolling forward its discounted cash flow and updated its model for Q4 and FY24 financials, resulting in an increased price target.

February 18

Leerink initiated coverage of aTyr Pharma with an Outperform rating and $16 price target. The firm has strong confidence aTyr’s lead program efzofitimod will be successful in its ongoing Phase 3 study in pulmonary sarcoidosis, with topline results expected in Q3 2025. The Phase 3 EFZO-FIT results in Q3 represent a key binary event for the stock and the firm’s positive view is informed by encouraging Phase 1b/2a data, its Monte Carlo-based simulator, positive MEDACorp key opinion leaders feedback, and a deep dive into the underlying science. Leerink thinks efzofitimod has the potential to be a transformative treatment in this high need indication and sees a compelling risk/reward opportunity ahead of the readout. aTyr is among Leerink’s top picks for 2025.

Baird says Allogene Therapeutics’s cemacabtagene ansegedleucel data update is positive. The firm is “quite encouraged” by the update, believing the data continue to support the “differentiated durability” of Allogene’s approach to allogeneic CAR-T therapy. The results serve as a positive indication that cema-cel may be able to meaningfully improve outcomes by treating low disease burden patients in the front-line consolidation setting in ALPHA3, Baird tells investors in a research note. The firm has an Outperform rating on the shares.

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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.