Randy Osborne

Wall Street breathed easier, and shares of Abivax SA found relief as further phase III data from the Abtect maintenance trial were disclosed with obefazimod in ulcerative colitis (UC).

The data mill continues to churn out encouraging results in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), with shares of Ramat Gan, Israel-based Can-Fite Biopharma Ltd. benefiting from the latest, phase IIa dispatch that pushed shares (NYSE:CANF) up 58%, or $1.73, to close July 1 at $4.70.

The April 2024 full U.S. FDA approval of Pfizer Inc. and Genmab A/S' tissue factor (TF)-targeting antibody-drug conjugate Tivdak (tisotumab vedotin) for cervical cancer sparked interest from drug developers in the strategy, which has been known about for a while.

The data mill continues to churn out encouraging results in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), with shares of Ramat Gan, Israel-based Can-Fite Biopharma Ltd. benefiting from the latest, phase IIa dispatch that pushed shares (NYSE:CANF) up 58%, or $1.73, to close July 1 at $4.70.

Tvardi Therapeutics Inc. rebounded from a phase II blowup last fall in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) with oral STAT3 inhibitor TTI-101 by showing that a next-gen phosphate prodrug dubbed TTI-109 kept its potency in phase I without gastrointestinal (GI) troubles.

Pending talks with regulators, Satellos Bioscience Inc. may seek accelerated approval in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) for SAT-3247, which yielded positive results in the adult phase II Trailhead study. Shares of Toronto-based Satellos (NASDAQ:MSLE) closed July 8 at $8.98, up 77 cents, or 9.4%, after the firm made public six-month interim data from Trailhead.

The synergy – or lack of it – between knockdown drugs and stabilizers in treating transthyretin (TTR)-mediated amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) became one of the topics for debate in the aftermath of the phase III fizzle with gene silencer Wainua (eplontersen), advanced by Astrazeneca plc and Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc.

The clinically proven promise of an alopecia drug, without the risks of black box-bearing JAK inhibitors yet with powerful efficacy, led shares of Q32 Bio Inc. (NASDAQ:QTTB) to close July 13 at $21.38, up $10.17, or 90.7%.

Rumblings that psychedelic treatments would soon be ready for prime time gained credence aplenty, and shares of Ataibeckley Inc. (NASDAQ:ATAI) ended July 16 at $7.15, up $1.79, or 33%, as Wall Street learned that Eli Lilly and Co. is taking over the psychedelics firm for $6.75 per share in cash plus up to $2.50 per share in the form of a contingent value right related to milestones for two Ataibeckley compounds.

GSK plc's walk-away from refractory chronic cough prospect camlipixant because of dicey phase III results opened the door wider for Trevi Therapeutics Inc. with Haduvio (oral nalbuphine ER), which yielded positive phase II data in June. Shares of Trevi (NASDAQ:TRVI) closed July 17 at $19.07, up $1.71, or 9.9%.