ALRN Gearing Up For ASH, RUBY Shines, UMRX, ZIOP On Watch

(RTTNews) - The following are some of today's top gainers in the pharma/biotech sector.

1. Cocrystal Pharma Inc. (COCP)

Gained 31.71% to close Tuesday's (Nov.13) trading at $2.70.

News: The Company presented encouraging results of CC-42344, its lead molecule currently being evaluated in preclinical IND-enabling studies for the treatment of influenza.

CC-42344 demonstrated a favorable safety profile and pharmacokinetic properties in preclinical testing. Importantly, CC-42344 has exhibited broad-spectrum activity in cell culture against seasonal and pandemic influenza strains, noted Sam Lee, President of Cocrystal.

Near-term Catalysts:

-- Announce interim topline results from the U.S. Phase 2a clinical study of CC-31244 for the ultra-short treatment of HCV-infected individuals in December 2018. -- Commence Hong Kong Phase 2a open-label study of CC-31244. -- Initiate Phase 1 study evaluating CC-42344 for the treatment of influenza in 2019.

2. Aileron Therapeutics Inc. (ALRN)

Gained 20.88% to close Tuesday's trading at $2.20.

News: No news

Pipeline:

The Company's lead product candidate is ALRN-6924.

Multiple clinical studies of ALRN-6924 are underway, including a Phase 1 All-comers trial in advanced solid tumors or lymphomas, a Phase 2a trial in peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL), a Phase 1 trial in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and advanced myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) as a monotherapy, and a Phase 1b trial in AML/MDS in combination with cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C).

Near-term Catalysts:

-- Updated interim data from the Phase 2a trial of ALRN-6924 for the treatment of patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma are expected to be reported in December 2018. -- Interim data from Phase 1 and 1b open-label, multi-center clinical trials of ALRN-6924 as a monotherapy and in combination with cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C) for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) are also expected to be presented at the ASH meeting in December 2018.

3. Rubius Therapeutics Inc. (RUBY)

Gained 19.35% to close Tuesday's trading at $17.58.

News: The Company reported third quarter 2018 financial results and operational progress.

Net loss for the third quarter of 2018 was $26.4 million or $0.42 per common share compared to $11.9 million or $1.48 per common share in the third quarter of 2017.

The Company ended September 30, 2018, with cash of $408.9 million, sufficient to last till 2021.

Recent event:

The Company went public on the Nasdaq Global Select Market on July 18, 2018, pricing its shares at $23.00 each.

Near-term Catalysts:

-- Submission of the first IND for RTX-134 during the first quarter of 2019, and an additional three to four INDs during 2019 and 2020.

RTX-134 is being developed for the treatment of phenylketonuria.

4. ZIOPHARM Oncology Inc. (ZIOP)

Gained 16.38% to close Tuesday's trading at $2.70.

News: No news

Recent event:

On November 12, the Company signed a clinical supply agreement with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. (REGN) to evaluate Ziopharm's Ad-RTS-hIL-12 plus veledimex in combination with Regeneron's PD-1 antibody Libtayo to treat patients with recurrent glioblastoma.

Ad-RTS-hIL-12 plus veledimex is an investigational gene therapy, and Libtayo has been approved in the United States for the treatment of patients with metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) or locally advanced CSCC.

Ziopharm and Regeneron will initiate a Phase 2 study in the first half of 2019 in patients with recurrent glioblastoma to measure preliminary safety and efficacy of Ad-RTS-hIL-12 plus veledimex in combination with Libtayo.

5. Unum Therapeutics Inc. (UMRX)

Gained 15% to close Tuesday's trading at $7.82.

News: The Company reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2018 and provided a corporate update.

Net loss attributable to common stockholders was $10.2 million or $0.34 per share for the third quarter of 2018 compared to $7.0 million or $0.69 per share for the same period last year.

Near-term Catalysts:

-- Updated data from ATTCK-20-03 trial, a phase I clinical trial of ACTR707 in combination with Rituximab in patients with CD20+ relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma, will be presented at the upcoming American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting in December. -- Preliminary data from early dose cohorts of ATTCK-17-01, a phase I trial of ACTR087 in combination with SEA-BCMA in patients with r/r multiple myeloma is expected to be reported at the ASH meeting in December 2018. -- Initiate a phase I trial of ACTR T cells in combination with Trastuzumab for the treatment of patients with HER2+ advanced cancers, dubbed ATTCK-34-01, by end of 2018, and announce preliminary data in 2019.