Aurinia Pharma Rises Following Updated Mid-Stage Results

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.
Aurinia Pharma Rises Following Updated Mid-Stage Results

© Thinkstock

Shares of Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: AUPH) saw a handy gain on Friday after the firm presented new data from its mid-stage study in lupus nephritis (LN) during the Annual European Congress of Rheumatology (EULAR) 2017. The updated data came from the firm’s global Phase 2b AURA-LV study.

The company previously reported that its treatment with low dose voclosporin showed statistically improved efficacy over the control arm at both the 24- and 48-week mark, with a doubling of remission rates at 48 weeks compared with the control arm (49% versus 24%).

The data presented at EULAR 2017 demonstrated that over the course of the 48-week trial, patients on voclosporin stayed in remission approximately twice the amount of time as those in the control group. These differences were statistically significant.

[nativounit]

No unexpected safety signals or adverse events were observed, and voclosporin was generally well-tolerated, consistent with what is expected of patients suffering from active LN.

Dr. Vladimir A. Dobronravov, M.D., PhD, DSc, clinical investigator for the study and Vice Director, Research Institute of Nephrology, commented:

Not only have more patients on voclosporin achieved complete remission, but they have done so faster. Patients on low-dose voclosporin are also maintaining remission for a longer duration—nearly twice that of the control group on average. The quicker we can bring patients into remission and keep them there, the more likely we are to delay or even prevent the deleterious effects of prolonged inflammation which can lead to irreversible kidney damage.

Shares of Aurinia were trading up 3% at $6.12 on Friday, with a consensus analyst price target of $11.25 and a 52-week range of $1.74 to $10.54.

[wallst_email_signup]

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.

Continue Reading

Top Gaining Stocks

CBOE Vol: 1,568,143
PSKY Vol: 12,285,993
STX Vol: 7,378,346
ORCL Vol: 26,317,675
DDOG Vol: 6,247,779

Top Losing Stocks

LKQ
LKQ Vol: 4,367,433
CLX Vol: 13,260,523
SYK Vol: 4,519,455
MHK Vol: 1,859,865
AMGN Vol: 3,818,618