PRLD - Prelude downgraded at Morgan Stanley ahead of key update

• Prelude Therapeutics ( NASDAQ: PRLD ) inched lower on Friday after Morgan Stanley downgraded the cancer-focused biotech to Equal Weight from Overweight as the company plans to disclose key steps forward for its PRMT5 program, including the solid tumor candidate PRT811 in H2 2022.
• The analysts see upside potential as PRLD remains on track to report early findings from its MCL1 inhibitor program and CDK9 inhibitor program during the second half of 2022. However, they see better opportunities elsewhere in the coverage noting uncertainty over the path forward for PRT811.
• Morgan Stanley lowers the probability of success for PRT811 in GBM, solid tumors, and myeloid malignancies to 20% from 25%, in line with the range it usually uses for Phase 1 assets, and trims the price target for PRLD to $11 from $19.
• Early this year, PRLD decided to drop the development of the PRT543 candidate in its PRMT5 program and focus its efforts on PRT811.

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