Biotech Alert: Searches spiking for these stocks today

Stay ahead of biotech stocks seeing a surge in interest from retail and financial professional investors with this exclusive recap from The Fly

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

• Celyad Oncology (CYAD), 33,773% surge in interest
• Fortress Biotech (FBIO), 374% surge in interest
• Edesa Biotech (EDSA), 185% surge in interest
• AIM Immunotech (AIM), 181% surge in interest
• Citius Pharmaceuticals (CTXR), 164% surge in interest

Pipeline and key clinical candidates for these companies:

Celyad Oncology is focused on the discovery and development of chimeric antigen receptor T cell, or CAR T, therapies for cancer. The company is developing a pipeline of allogeneic, or off-the-shelf, and autologous, or personalized, CAR T cell therapy candidates for the treatment of both hematological malignancies and solid tumors.

Fortress Biotech is focused on acquiring, developing and commercializing high-potential marketed and development-stage drugs and drug candidates. The company has nine marketed prescription pharmaceutical products and over 30 programs in development at Fortress, at its majority-owned and majority-controlled partners and subsidiaries and at partners and subsidiaries it founded and in which it holds significant minority ownership positions. Such product candidates span six large-market areas, including oncology, rare diseases and gene therapy.

Edesa Biotech is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing treatments for inflammatory and immune-related diseases with clear unmet medical needs. The company’s two lead product candidates, EB05 and EB01, are in later stage clinical studies.

AIM ImmunoTech is an immuno-pharma company focused on the research and development of therapeutics to treat multiple types of cancers, immune disorders, and viral diseases, including COVID-19. The company’s lead product, Ampligen is an immuno-modulator with broad spectrum activity being developed for globally important cancers, viral diseases and disorders of the immune system. Ampligen is currently being used to treat pancreatic cancer patients in an Early Access Program approved by the Inspectorate of Healthcare in the Netherlands at Erasmus Medical Center and AIM has commenced a Phase 2 clinical study in locally advanced pancreatic cancer. The company also has multiple ongoing clinical trials to evaluate Ampligen as a combinational therapy for the treatment of a variety of solid tumor types both underway and planned at major cancer research centers. 

Citius is a late-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development and commercialization of critical care products, with a focus on oncology, anti-infectives in adjunct cancer care, unique prescription products, and stem cell therapies. The company’s pipeline includes two late-stage product candidates, Mino-Lok, an antibiotic lock solution for the treatment of patients with catheter-related bloodstream infections, which is currently enrolling patients in a Phase 3 Pivotal superiority trial, and I/ONTAK, a novel IL-2R immunotherapy for an initial indication in CTCL, for which a BLA is under review by the FDA.

Recent news on these stocks:

January 17

Edesa Biotech announced preliminary, topline results from a Phase 2b clinical study evaluating multiple concentrations of the company’s drug candidate, EB01, as a monotherapy for moderate-to-severe chronic Allergic Contact Dermatitis. The double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluated the safety and efficacy of EB01 in approximately 200 subjects, who were treated for 28 days with either EB01 cream or a placebo/vehicle cream. The primary efficacy outcome measurement was the mean percent improvement in symptoms from baseline at day 29 on the Contact Dermatitis Severity Index. A key secondary efficacy measurement was the success rate of subjects achieving a score of "clear" or "almost clear" with at least a 2-point improvement from baseline after treatment at day 29 on the Investigator’s Static Global Assessment scale. Edesa reported that 1.0% EB01 cream demonstrated statistically significant improvement over placebo. For the primary endpoint, patients with 1.0% EB01-treated lesions demonstrated a 60% average improvement in symptoms from baseline at day 29 on the CDSI versus 39% for placebo/vehicle. The effect was also observed at 15 days and continued at follow-up. For the ISGA secondary efficacy endpoint, 53% of patients with 1.0% EB01-treated lesions achieved a score of "clear" or "almost clear" with at least a 2-point improvement from baseline after treatment at day 29. Only 29% of patients in the placebo group reached the same endpoint. No serious treatment-related adverse events were reported across all concentrations. The 2.0% and 0.2% formulations did not show significant differences compared to placebo. Dr. Nijhawan noted that while the company anticipated that the highest concentration would also outperform placebo, the favorable topline results from the 1.0% concentration represented the lowest efficacious dose and could have a number of benefits going forward, including significantly lower costs of goods. Edesa is preparing for an End of Phase 2 meeting with FDA following full analysis. The company expects to complete the analysis of the Phase 2b data by midyear.

AIM ImmunoTech announced it has entered into an external sponsored collaborative clinical research agreement with Erasmus MC and AstraZeneca (AZN). Under the agreement, Erasmus MC is planning to perform an investigator-initiated clinical study, entitled "Combining anti-PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitor durvalumab with TLR-3 agonist rintatolimod in patients with metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma for therapy effect. DURIPANC Study," in which it will use both Study Drugs provided by AstraZeneca and AIM ImmunoTech. "We have been diligently working to advance the development of Ampligen as a synergistic combination therapy with checkpoint inhibitors based on the promising data demonstrated to date. In the previously conducted human clinical studies, Ampligen has shown synergistic potential with PD-1 checkpoint blockade therapeutics. We are thrilled to take this important step forward in clinical development in collaboration with AstraZeneca and its PDL-1 therapy, durvalumab, and further unlock the potential of Ampligen for the treatment of pancreatic cancer where there remains significant unmet need," commented Thomas K. Equels, MS JD, Chief Executive Officer of AIM.

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 15-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.

Keywords: biotech, biotech sector, biotech alert, investingchannel, XBI, SPDR S&P Biotech ETF