Aptevo Therapeutics Stock Draws Retail Attention After Leukemia Trial Data: Retail Extremely Bullish

Aptevo Therapeutics Inc. shares surged nearly 50% early Thursday on promising leukemia trial results, before paring gains in volatile trading. 

The stock drew significant heavy interest on Stocktwits, reaching the top 15 trending symbols list, where sentiment turned ‘extremely bullish’ amid a sharp rise in message volume.

APVO sentiment and message volume on Dec 12 as of 11:45 am ET | source: Stocktwits

The company announced that all patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treated with its lead candidate, mipletamig, achieved remission within 30 days in a Phase 1b trial. 

This includes two patients who experienced complete remission with 100% cancer cell elimination. 

The trial is exploring mipletamig as frontline therapy in combination with venetoclax and azacitidine, the current standard of care for AML.

Retail traders speculated heavily on the stock’s movements, attributing volatility to its small public float of around 500,000 shares. 

Optimistic users expressed confidence in the company’s long-term potential, with one noting that they had bought 1,000 shares of Aptevo.

Aptevo’s oncology pipeline targets aggressive forms of cancer. Other highlights include:

• ALG.APV-527: Currently in Phase 1 for 5T4-expressing solid tumors like breast, colon, and non-small cell lung cancers. Preliminary data presented at leading oncology conferences has been positive.

• Other preclinical candidates, including APVO711 (immune checkpoint blockade and activator) and APVO603 (dual co-stimulatory solid tumor targeting), are designed for precision cancer treatments.

Aptevo stock remains down over 96% year-to-date, reflecting other ongoing challenges. Its current market cap is just over $5 million.

Still, retail investors remain cautiously optimistic for now as the company builds on promising clinical data while addressing broader market pressures.

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