Why Vascular Biogenics Is Getting Crushed

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By Chris Lange Updated Published
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Why Vascular Biogenics Is Getting Crushed

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Vascular Biogenics Ltd. (NASDAQ: VBLT) watched its shares get absolutely crushed on Thursday after the firm reported top-line results for its late-stage trial in patients with recurrent glioblastoma. This Phase 3 Globe study was designed to evaluate VB-111 in combination with bevacizumab (Avastin), compared to the bevacizumab control arm.

The study is conducted under a Special Protocol Assessment granted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), with full endorsement by the Canadian Brain Tumor Consortium. VB-111 has received orphan drug designation in the United States and Europe, and it was granted Fast Track designation by the FDA for promising and meaningful long-term survival in patients with glioblastoma that has recurred following treatment with standard chemotherapy and radiation.

Unfortunately, the study did not meet its pre-specified primary endpoint of overall survival. What is disappointing here is that Vascular Biogenics had previously produced statistically significant results in Phase 2 for overall survival.

Although Vascular Biogenics is facing a sizeable obstacle at this point, the firm plans on looking at additional indications for the drug.

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Dror Harats, M.D., CEO of VBL Therapeutics, commented:

We are disappointed that our encouraging Phase 2 data were not replicated in the GLOBE Phase 3 study, and once we receive the full and final data we will be analyzing them carefully to better understand the outcome of the study. We are grateful to the trial investigators, site personnel, patients and caregivers who participated in GLOBE. We believe that VB-111 may still hold promise for other indications we currently or may study in the future.

Shares of Vascular Biogenics were last seen down nearly 62% at $2.60 on Thursday, with a consensus analyst price target of $14.75 and a 52-week range of $2.30 to $9.05.

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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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