Retail Traders Flock To Adial Pharma After Patent News Sends Shares Soaring

Retail investors are buzzing about Adial Pharmaceuticals after the company announced the issuance of a key U.S. patent, which strengthens its strategy in precision medicine for addiction treatment. 

The announcement sent shares soaring to $0.78 during Thursday’s session — the stock’s highest level since February.

The patent, officially granted on April 15 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), covers a novel method of treating alcohol- and opioid-related disorders using Adial’s investigational therapy, AD04, in patients with specific genetic markers.

The company’s approach positions AD04 as a targeted therapy — not a one-size-fits-all solution — marking a significant step forward in the personalized treatment of addiction.

The newly issued patent outlines the administration of AD04 to individuals with serotonin-related gene variations, including genotypes of HTR3A, HTR3B, and SLC6A4, such as the LL genotype of 5-HTTLPR, along with SNPs rs1150226, rs17614942, and rs1176713. 

The claims also include dosing regimens customized to these genetic profiles — a key component of Adial’s precision medicine approach.

In addition to alcohol use disorder (AUD), the patent extends to a wide range of related conditions, including alcohol-induced anxiety, bipolar disorder, sexual dysfunction, sleep disturbances, gambling disorder, and alcohol withdrawal. 

The retail trading community was quick to react on Stocktwits. 

Sentiment flipped to ‘extremely bullish’ amid ‘extremely high’ message volume, underscoring strong retail engagement. 

One user said, “Great news today sent it flying,” while another predicted the stock could jump 50% to 100% in after-hours or the following day, calling the initial 11% gain “a bargain.”

That retail enthusiasm is complemented by positive analyst coverage. According to data from Koyfin, two of the three analysts covering Adial currently rate the stock a ‘Buy,’ with the third assigning a ‘Hold.’ 

Notably, no analysts have issued ‘Sell’ or ‘Strong Sell’ ratings.

Despite Thursday’s spike, Adial shares remain down 26.4% year-to-date, underperforming the broader market. In comparison, the Nasdaq is down 1.7%, while the Dow and S&P 500 have declined 3.9% and 4.5%, respectively, over the same period.

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