Benzinga | Mar 15, 2021 02:06PM EDT

Rubius Therapeutics Stock Trading Higher On Positive Efficacy, Safety RTX-240 Data In Solid Tumor Study

Rubius Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ: RUBY) stock is trading after reporting initial data from its ongoing Phase 1/2 trial of RTX-240 in patients with advanced solid tumors.

* Initial efficacy results showed a confirmed partial response (PR) with a 54% reduction in the target lesions in a patient with metastatic anal cancer whose disease had progressed on anti-PD-L1 therapy.

* Stable disease (SD) was observed in six patients, including four patients with stable disease for at least 12 weeks.

* The most common treatment-related mild/moderate adverse events were fatigue, chills, nausea, decreased appetite, and arthralgias on the safety front.

* No treatment-related severe/serious adverse events, no dose-limiting toxicities, and a single Grade 1 event of liver toxicity were reported.

* Trafficking of T and NK cells into the tumor microenvironment was observed in 3/5 patients (1.6 to 10-fold increases).

* In one patient with acute myeloid leukemia, trafficking of T and NK cells into the bone marrow was associated with increases in the marrow's cellularity.

* The company plans to initiate a Phase 1 trial of RTX-240 combined with anti-PD-1 therapy in advanced solid tumors in the second half of this year.

* Initial data from RTX-321 for the treatment of HPV 16-positive cancers are expected by Q1 of 2022.

* The company plans to submit an Investigational New Drug Application for RTX-224 by year-end.

* HC Wainwright raised the price target on Rubius Therapeutics from $28 to $40.

* Price Action: RUBY shares were trading 79.1% higher at $29.40 in market trading hours.