KZIA Stock Soars After Stage IV Cancer Patient Shows Initial Complete Remission On Its Drug Combination

• The patient remains on therapy and under active clinical monitoring, the company said.
• In October, Kazia had announced that it observed an 86% reduction in tumor burden after only three weeks of treatment in the same patient.
• Kazia also raised concerns on Tuesday regarding a potential suspension or delisting of its shares from the Nasdaq.

Shares of cancer drug developer Kazia Therapeutics Limited (KZIA) were in the spotlight on Wednesday after the company said that a stage IV triple-negative breast cancer patient treated with a combination of its lead program Paxalisib with Pembrolizumab and standard chemotherapy has achieved an initial immune-complete response.

An immune-complete response means the complete disappearance of all signs of cancer following immunotherapy. It is also known as complete remission.

KZIA shares traded 42% higher on Wednesday morning at the time of writing.

Data And Takeaways

As per Kazia, complete responses in stage IV metastatic TNBC are exceedingly uncommon and may suggest enhanced biological activity of the combination regimen, warranting continued follow-up.

In October, Kazia had announced that it observed an 86% reduction in tumor burden after only three weeks of treatment in the same patient. After about three months of therapy, a scan performed demonstrated complete metabolic resolution of all previously identified lesions, consistent with an initial immune-complete response, the company said.

The patient remains on therapy and under active clinical monitoring, the company added. Kazia now plans to conduct a follow-up scan to confirm the initial scan.

Executive Commentary

"Observing an initial complete response in a patient with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer is an extremely encouraging clinical finding," said CEO John Friend.

Paxalisib was licensed from Genentech in late 2016 and is being developed to treat multiple forms of cancer. The company now intends to request a meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to discuss the overall survival Paxalisib findings from its completed clinical studies and to discuss the elements needed for an application submission for Paxalisib in newly diagnosed glioblastoma.

Delisting Concerns

Kazia on Tuesday also raised concerns about a potential suspension or delisting of its shares from Nasdaq, as it is not in compliance with certain listing rules. The company said it intends to request a hearing before a Nasdaq panel in a timely manner to stay any suspension or delisting action pending the outcome of the hearing.

The company is now also evaluating corporate and market-based options to regain compliance.

How Did Stocktwits Users React?

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around KZIA stock jumped from ‘bearish’ to ‘extremely bullish’ territory over the past 24 hours, while message volume rose from ‘low’ to ‘extremely high’ levels.

KZIA stock is down by 8% this year and by about 71% over the past 12 months.

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