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: 

• Altamira Therapeutics (CYTO), 6,933% surge in interest
• Salarius Pharmaceuticals (SLRX), 607% surge in interest
• Esperion Therapeutics (ESPR), 121% surge in interest

Pipeline and key clinical candidates for these companies:

Altamira Therapeutics is currently active in three areas: the development of RNA therapeutics for extrahepatic therapeutic targets via the OligoPhore/SemaPhore platforms; nasal sprays for protection against airborne allergens and, where approved, viruses or for the treatment of vertigo; and the development of therapeutics for intratympanic treatment of tinnitus or hearing loss.

Salarius Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing therapies for patients with cancer in need of new treatment options. Salarius’ product portfolio includes seclidemstat, its lead candidate, which is being studied as a potential treatment for pediatric cancers, sarcomas and other cancers with limited treatment options, and SP-3164, an oral small molecule protein degrader being developed for the treatment of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Salarius has received financial support from the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation to advance the Ewing sarcoma program.

Esperion discovers, develops, and commercializes innovative medicines and combinations to lower cholesterol, especially for patients whose needs aren’t being met by the status quo.

Recent news on these stocks:

March 25

Altamira Therapeutics entered into a collaboration agreement with Univercells Group to evaluate the use of the company’s proprietary SemaPhore platform for the delivery of mRNA vaccines. Univercells is a global life sciences company creating platforms for developing and manufacturing biologics, including mRNA vaccines and therapeutics, in a simple, scalable and cost-efficient way. Under the terms of the agreement, Univercells will test in vitro and in vivo a proprietary mRNA vaccine delivered with Altamira’s SemaPhore nanoparticle platform. Should the experiments prove successful, Univercells and Altamira intend to discuss and negotiate a commercial agreement for the development and manufacturing of nanoparticle-based mRNA vaccines using Univercells’ production platform.

March 22

Esperion announced that the United States FDA has approved broad new label expansions for NEXLETOL Tablets and NEXLIZET Tablets based on positive CLEAR Outcomes data that include indications for cardiovascular risk reduction and expanded LDL-C lowering in both primary and secondary prevention patients. In addition, the enhanced labels support the use of NEXLETOL and NEXLIZET either alone or in combination with statins. They also include new indications for primary hyperlipidemia, alone or in combination with a statin, and are the only LDL-C lowering non-statin drugs indicated for primary prevention patients. The company’s pending label expansions in Europe remain on track, with a positive opinion received from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use on March 21. The company anticipates a final determination by the European Medicines Agency in the second quarter of 2024.

Daiichi Sankyo (DSNKY) and Esperion Therapeutics jointly announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, or CHMP, of the European Medicines Agency has adopted positive opinions for the label update of both bempedoic acid, marketed as Nilemdo, and the bempedoic acid / ezetimibe fixed dose combination, marketed as Nustendi, recommending their approval as treatments to reduce low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, or LDL-C, and cardiovascular risk. “We are thrilled with the positive CHMP opinion, which reflects the significant cardiovascular risk reduction benefit that the bempedoic acid global franchise brings to patients worldwide. This latest regulatory milestone further bolsters our efforts to work towards delivering innovative treatment options to manage cardiovascular risk for patients with elevated LDL-C,” said Sheldon Koenig, President and CEO, Esperion. The European Commission will review the CHMP opinions and is expected to deliver its final decision in the mid of the year 2024, the companies stated.

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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.