Why This Successful Bladder Cancer Study May Not Be Enough

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By Chris Lange Updated Published
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Why This Successful Bladder Cancer Study May Not Be Enough

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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.

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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.

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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.

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