Why This Successful Bladder Cancer Study May Not Be Enough

Photo of Chris Lange
By Chris Lange Updated Published
This post may contain links from our sponsors and affiliates, and Flywheel Publishing may receive compensation for actions taken through them.
Why This Successful Bladder Cancer Study May Not Be Enough

© wildpixel / Getty Images

Immunomedics Inc. (NASDAQ: IMMU) shares dropped sharply on Monday after the firm presented interim data from its midstage bladder cancer study at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Annual Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

In this report, sacituzumab govitecan produced an overall response rate (ORR) of 29% in 35 patients with metastatic urothelial cancer (mUC) who had relapsed or were refractory to immune checkpoint inhibitors (CPI) and platinum-based chemotherapy.

The 29% ORR included two confirmed complete responses, six confirmed partial responses and two additional partial responses pending confirmation. At the time of data cutoff on August 5, 2019, eight of 10 responders had an ongoing response. Median time to onset of response was 1.5 months. For patients with liver metastases, ORR was 25%.

It’s worth pointing out that the 29% ORR was short of its rival at Seattle Genetics Inc. (NASDAQ: SGEN), which had a 44% response rate.

Dr. Behzad Aghazadeh, executive chair of Immunomedics, commented:

These interim results, in a larger number of CPI-experienced patients, are consistent with previously reported efficacy of sacituzumab govitecan in mUC, and also show encouraging benefits observed in patients relapsed on enfortumab vedotin. Based on these data, the company will be exploring registrational pathways with the FDA.

[nativounit]

Additionally, Immunomedics announced two clinical collaborations that address continuing unmet needs in breast cancer. The collaboration with Roche will evaluate the safety and efficacy of the combination of atezolizumab (Tecentriq)

Shares of Immunomedics traded down about 11% at $12.69, in a 52-week range of $11.55 to $24.99. The consensus price target is $25.45.

Seattle Genetics was up 12% at $84.93 a share. The 52-week range is $50.71 to $88.19, and the consensus price target is $82.36.

[recirclink id=581133]
[wallst_email_signup]

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Photo of Chris Lange
About the Author Chris Lange →

Chris Lange is a writer for 24/7 Wall St., based in Houston. He has covered financial markets over the past decade with an emphasis on healthcare, tech, and IPOs. During this time, he has published thousands of articles with insightful analysis across these complex fields. Currently, Lange's focus is on military and geopolitical topics. Lange's work has been quoted or mentioned in Forbes, The New York Times, Business Insider, USA Today, MSN, Yahoo, The Verge, Vice, The Intelligencer, Quartz, Nasdaq, The Motley Fool, Fox Business, International Business Times, The Street, Seeking Alpha, Barron’s, Benzinga, and many other major publications. A graduate of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, Lange majored in business with a particular focus on investments. He has previous experience in the banking industry and startups.

Featured Reads

Our top personal finance-related articles today. Your wallet will thank you later.

Continue Reading

Top Gaining Stocks

COIN Vol: 11,992,278
META Vol: 45,536,038
GIS Vol: 27,485,375
PLTR Vol: 58,562,283
ELV Vol: 2,106,549

Top Losing Stocks

GLW Vol: 22,393,456
KLA
KLAC Vol: 24,127,902
TER Vol: 5,463,519
MU Vol: 51,314,724
AMAT Vol: 16,089,193