J&J trial news may have positive read for Neumora Therapeutics, says RBC Capital

RBC Capital analyst Brian Abrahams notes that the clinicaltrials.gov listing for Johnson & Johnson’s (JNJ) second MDD Phase 3 trial with aticaprant was updated to indicate the study had completed on November 13, almost a month earlier than the mid-December original estimate, and that it has enrolled 444 patients, rather than 710, as originally planned. VENTURA-2 could have been truncated early if aticaprant had demonstrated robust efficacy in the as-yet-unreported VENTURA-1 study, which the firm thinks “may be the more likely case.” The firm, which believes today’s J&J update may have readthroughs to Neumora Therapeutics’ (NMRA) KOASTAL-1 Phase 3 study of navacaprant, which is set to read out within the next few weeks, keeps an Outperform rating and $29 price target on Neumora shares.