VSTM Stock Climbs After-Hours As FDA Grants Fast Track To Lung Cancer Drug — Retail Eyes The Next Keytruda

• VS-7375 is an oral pill designed to block the mutated KRAS G12D protein in both its active and inactive states.
• The company is already testing VS-7375 in multiple trials.
• Verastem already holds Fast Track for the same medicine in KRAS G12D-mutated pancreatic cancer.

Shares of Verastem Oncology (VSTM) rose 5% after-hours on Wednesday after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted Fast Track status to its experimental oral medicine VS-7375, speeding up its development as a potential treatment for certain patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer driven by a specific genetic mutation.

The Fast Track designation is designed to help promising medicines for serious diseases reach patients faster by allowing more frequent contact with regulators and potentially quicker review. No targeted therapies are currently approved in the U.S. specifically for the KRAS G12D mutation, which acts like a stuck “gas pedal” in cancer cells, causing uncontrolled growth.

Potential Market

KRAS G12D is found in about 5% of non-small cell lung cancer cases — the most common form of lung cancer, accounting for roughly 80 to 85% of all lung cancers. More than 8,000 U.S. patients are diagnosed each year with this mutation in advanced or spreading disease. These patients often respond poorly to standard treatments and face a tough outlook.

VS-7375 is an oral pill designed to block the mutated KRAS G12D protein in both its active and inactive states. This dual approach, the company believes, could shut down tumor growth more effectively than drugs that target only one state. Verastem already holds Fast Track for the same medicine in KRAS G12D-mutated pancreatic cancer.

The company is already testing VS-7375 in multiple trials. An early-stage study is ongoing, with early safety and activity data expected in the first half of 2026 and more detailed results later in the year. Verastem has also started a mid-stage registration-directed trial focused on patients with advanced lung cancer who have received one or two prior lines of treatment. The study includes patients with untreated brain metastases.

How Did VSTM Retail Traders React?

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around VSTM stock rose from 'bearish' to 'bullish' territory over the past 24 hours, while message volume jumped from 'normal' to 'high' levels.

A Stocktwits user expressed optimism for a buyout for Verastem.

Another user applauded the drug, opining that it will eventually be like Merck’s blockbuster cancer drug Keytruda.

VSTM stock has fallen 39% over the past 12 months. 

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