SLS Stock Edges Higher As Wall Street, Retail Expect Another MRNA Moment

• SELLAS’s lead therapy, galinpepimut-S, is in a Phase 3 study called REGAL for patients with acute myeloid leukemia who are in a second complete remission.
• Data are due soon, with 78 of the 80 required events for the commencement of analysis already reached by May.
• Maxim kept its Buy rating and $30 price target on SLS.

Shares of SELLAS Life Sciences (SLS) edged 6% higher on Wednesday after an analyst tied the strong Moderna-Merck cancer vaccine data announced earlier in the day to the company’s own late-stage program.

Maxim Group described Moderna’s positive late-stage melanoma results as a “win for cancer vaccines,” arguing the surge in Moderna shares should support SELLAS if its key trial succeeds.

In a joint announcement on Wednesday, Merck and Moderna said their Phase 3 INTerpath-001 study met its main goal of keeping patients free from cancer longer after surgery. The trial tested an individualized mRNA therapy called intismeran autogene, given with Merck’s Keytruda, against Keytruda alone. The trial also met a key secondary goal of lowering the risk that the cancer would spread to distant parts of the body.

Why Shares Are Moving

SELLAS’s lead therapy, galinpepimut-S (or GPS), is in a Phase 3 study called REGAL for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who are in a second complete remission. Data are due soon, with 78 of the 80 required events for the commencement of analysis already reached by May. Maxim kept its Buy rating and $30 price target, saying a successful outcome could generate similar investor enthusiasm. A $30 price target implies a potential upside of 129% from the stock’s last closing price.

Trial Progress And Quiet Period

Investors have been watching the REGAL trial closely since the company’s second-quarter update on August 11. At that time, SELLAS said the final analysis will begin once the 80th event is recorded. The company’s management remains blinded to the trial outcome but said it would announce when the 80th event is reached and enter an official quiet period until topline results are announced. A firm date for the topline results is not available as the trial is event-dependent.

Other Recent Analyst Views

Wall Street remains constructive. Earlier this month, Alliance Global Partners raised its price target on SLS to $35 from $25 while maintaining a Buy rating, citing the strength of the company’s pipeline ahead of the GPS readout. In addition to GPS, Sellas is also advancing SLS009 (tambiciclib) in newly diagnosed first-line AML. Data from the ongoing mid-stage trial of the candidate is expected in the fourth quarter of 2026.

How Did Retail Traders React?

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around SLS stock remained ‘bullish’ over the past 24 hours, while message volume remained ‘high.’

A Stocktwits user expressed suspicion that the company did not announce the 80th event.

“SLS is the next MRNA,” another more bullish user wrote.

According to Koyfin data, SLS has a 12-month average price target of $32.50, implying potential upside of over 100% from the stock’s current trading level.

SLS stock has rallied over 260% year-to-date. 

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