Equillium, Inc. ( NASDAQ: EQ ), a biotech focused on immuno-inflammatory disorders, added ~22% i n the morning hours Tuesday as Street reacted to the company’s interim results from the Type B portion of the EQUALISE study evaluating its lead asset itolizumab in lupus nephritis (LN).
The ongoing second portion of the trial is designed to test the subcutaneous delivery of 1.6 mg/kg itolizumab every two weeks over 24 weeks in up to 20 patients.
Highlights of the results indicate 3 of 6 (50%) subjects achieved Complete Response (CR) by week 28, while 2 of 6 (33%) subjects reached partial response (PR), including 4 of 6 (67%) of those who indicated more than 80% decline in urine protein creatinine ratio (UPCR).
In those subjects who received more than one dose, the average UPCR decline stood at 60%, while 8 of 12 (67%) showed an over 50% reduction in UPCR. The data were based on patients with high proteinuria.
The drug was found to be safe and well tolerated in general, with no drug-related serious adverse events. Further data from the study are expected in mid-2023.
Commenting on the news, H.C. Wainwright has reiterated the Outperform rating on EQ and raised its price target to $20 from $15 per share.
The analyst Raghuram Selvaraju argues that if the full data set from the trial can reflect the drug’s potential seen so far in LN, the company can begin planning for a pivotal trial, which could initiate enrollment before the 2023-end.
Early this year, EQ announced the start of a Phase 3 trial for Itolizumab in acute graft-versus-host disease .
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Equillium spikes 22% after early Phase 2 data for lupus nephritis candidate