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The study included 46 fully treated patients, with 37% of those with progressive disease still alive after two years.
Candel Therapeutics Inc. stock ended Wednesday deep in the red but rose 1.3% in extended trading after the company announced encouraging data from a cancer drug trial.
The company reported final survival data from a Phase 2a trial of CAN-2409 in advanced lung cancer patients who did not respond well to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI).
The median overall survival (mOS) was 24.5 months for those receiving two courses of CAN-2409, significantly higher than the 9.8-11.8 months seen in similar patients receiving standard chemotherapy.
The study included 46 fully treated patients, with 37% of those with progressive disease still alive after two years.
Patients with non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) showed the most potent response, with a mOS of 25.4 months in this group. Biomarker analysis indicated a stronger immune response in these patients than in those with squamous NSCLC.
The treatment also appeared to induce a systemic immune response, as 69% of patients with multiple tumors saw reductions in untreated lesions.
CAN-2409 maintained a favorable safety profile throughout the extended follow-up period, the company added.
The news sent message volume about Candel on Stocktwits soaring by over 120%, with sentiment climbing further within the ‘neutral’ territory (53/100) from a day ago.
One optimistic user said CAN-2409 "is worth billions," adding that Candel also had successful phase-3 trials in prostate cancer and a successful phase-2 in pancreatic cancer.
Another compared Candel to small-cap biotech firms that were acquired by established pharma giants such as Gilead and Pfizer for tens of billions of dollars, saying the company “will join this GOAT rodeo in no time.”
“I could see this becoming [the] standard of care for adenocarcinoma of the lung,” said another user based on the data.
Last month, Candel shared updated survival data from Phase 2a trials of CAN-2409 in pancreatic cancer.
Meanwhile, Phase 1b survival data for CAN-3110 in recurrent high-grade glioma is expected in the fourth quarter of 2025, and the company plans to submit a Biologics License Application (BLA) for CAN-2409 in prostate cancer in Q4 2026.
Candel stock is down about 12% this year but has gained more than 390% in the past 12 months.
According to Koyfin, three out of four analysts covering Candel rate it ‘buy’ while one recommends a ‘strong buy.’
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