INKT - Premier cancer research event AACR is starting this week; Here is what to expect

2023-04-09 12:00:00 ET

The largest meeting in the world of cancer research is set to kick off this week. The annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is a much sought-after event in the healthcare calendar, with many pharma companies scheduled to highlight their latest oncology research at the multi-day conference.

The 2023 edition of the meeting, taking place from Apr. 14 to Apr. 19 in Orlando, Florida, is no exception, with leading biotechs such as Moderna ( NASDAQ: MRNA ) to SMID cap SpringWorks Therapeutics ( NASDAQ: SWTX ) slated to present some of the highly anticipated readouts.

The regular abstracts from the event were released in mid-March, alongside titles of clinical trials and late-breaking abstracts. However, the full clinical trial results and late-breaking abstracts will only be publicly available on Apr. 14 when the meeting begins.

According to industry publication BiopharmIQ, more than 20 SMID cap biopharma are on track to present at AACR 2023, leading to potentially multiple stock-moving events. The mere announcement of their upcoming presentations at the event sent shares of Sensei Biotherapeutics ( SNSE ) and Corbus Pharmaceuticals ( CRBP ) sharply higher last month.

Among large-cap biotechs, Moderna ( MRNA ) is set to follow up on its mid-stage trial for Merck-( NYSE: MRK ) partnered personalized cancer vaccine mRNA-4157/V940 in a presentation and a poster session scheduled for Apr. 16 and Apr. 18, respectively.

In December, the duo sparked hopes of a messenger-RNA-based cancer vaccine after announcing their Phase 2b study trial for mRNA-4157/V940 and Merck's ( MRK ) anti-PD-1 therapy Keytruda met the main goal in certain patients with skin cancer melanoma.

At the event, Eli Lilly ( NYSE: LLY ) is expected to mark its presence in the KRAS G12C space, where Amgen ( AMGN ) and Mirati Therapeutics ( MRTX ) dominate. On Apr. 17, the Indianapolis, Indiana-based pharma is on track to detail the first clinical data from a Phase 1 trial for its KRAS G12C inhibitor in patients with KRAS G12C- mutant advanced solid tumors.

A day earlier, the company will feature first-in-human data for its IDH inhibitor LY3410738 from a Phase 1 trial for advanced myeloid malignancies and later follow up with more early-stage data for the candidate in advanced IDH-mutant cholangiocarcinoma and other solid tumors.

Relay Therapeutics ( RLAY ) and Kinnate Biopharma ( KNTE ) are also among the notable presenters at this year's event after AACR selected the biotechs to present their first-in-human data for PI3K? kinase inhibitor RLY-2608 and pan-RAF inhibitor exarafenib at the event, respectively.

However, Bank of America looks forward to the first clinical data SpringWorks Therapeutics ( SWTX ) is set to present for its cancer candidate BGB-3245, calling the Phase 1 readout a highly important event at the conference.

The BeiGene ( BGNE ) partnered RAF inhibitor "could represent a billion-dollar therapy, although we note they are a long way from the market (we project launches in 2027)," the analyst Alec Stranahan argued in a March note.

BofA also highlighted SWTX's presentation on Phase 1 results for the Mirdametinib + Lifirafenib combination in patients with advanced or refractory solid tumors, noting the readout as another highly important AACR event.

Meanwhile, Erasca ( ERAS ) is set to release Phase 1 data for its oral SHP2 inhibitor ERAS-601 at an Apr. 18 poster session, marking another highly important clinical event in BofA coverage. The poster presentation will include initial dose escalation results for ERAS-601 in combination with FDA-approved cancer therapy cetuximab in patients with previously treated advanced or metastatic solid tumors.

Seeking Alpha analyst William Meyers sees AACR 2023 as a potential catalyst for MiNK Therapeutics ( INKT ), which is set to update clinical data for its natural killer T cell therapy agenT-797, as a combination therapy in advanced solid tumors.

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