Bellicum plunges 49% after ending trials for CAR-T candidates
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- Nano-cap biotech Bellicum Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:BLCM) lost ~49% on Wednesday after announcing the termination of Phase 1/2 clinical trials for its GoCAR-T cell therapies, BPX-601 and BPX-603.
- The trials were designed to evaluate GoCAR-T candidates in combination with rimiducid in heavily pre-treated cancer patients.
- The decision follows serious adverse events detected in the most recently treated patient of the Phase 1/2 trial for BPX-601 in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.
- The immune-mediated reactions, which included Grade 4 cytokine release syndrome (CRS), was the second dose-limiting toxicity found in this group of dose escalation, Bellicum (BLCM) said.
- However, the company said that while the study indicated “clinically meaningful efficacy,” it doesn’t have the resources to take necessary steps, such as dose modifications, to achieve a favorable risk/benefit profile.
Wall Street has remained bullish on Bellicum (BLCM) stock, with a Strong Buy rating from an analyst while Seeking Alpha's Quant System, which consistently beats the market, rated BLCM as a Hold.