Enlivex (NASDAQ:ENLV) is on a tear Thursday morning. ENLV stock is up 70% — after closing yesterday out higher by 20% — on a big drug advancement. The company will soon launch larger clinical trials in hopes of treating the novel coronavirus.
So what exactly is happening?
Well, you likely know that there is no shortage of complications or side effects from the novel coronavirus. Beyond usual symptoms like fevers and muscle aches, doctors have reported seeing everything from toe lesions to long-lasting neurological damage.
Enlivex, an Israeli biotech company, wants to make a difference. How? It is hoping that its Allocetra drug will get even the sickest coronavirus patients out of the hospital alive.
The company is making the first moves toward that goal on Thursday. After testing Allocetra in five patients with severe or critical cases, it found that all patients survived. No patients reported any adverse side effects, further suggesting that Allocetra is safe and effective.
However, five patients is a pretty small sample size, and Enlivex recognizes that. Based on its tiny trial, and another trial of Allocetra in 10 patients sepsis, the company is moving forward with Phase 2 clinical trials. It will recruit more participants — still focusing on individuals in severe or critical condition. Enlivex will start this study as soon as it receives full regulatory approval and can recruit enough people.
It is promising enough that Allocetra has delivered these results. But importantly, there is a lot more for investors to like about the drug — and ENLV stock — here.
Why ENLV Stock Is Skyrocketing Today
The first thing to note is that Allocetra is a plasma-based antibody treatment. Typically, these treatments are reserved for use in patients with moderate levels of illness. Enlivex is hoping to prove that it can close that gap, demonstrating that Allocetra works for even the sickest individuals.
Allocetra also targets the coronavirus in an unique way. One major concern of scientists thus far in the pandemic has been the hyper-expression of cytokines, also referred to as cytokine storms or cytokine release syndrome (CRS). When a patient is working to fight off an illness, occasionally their immune system goes into overdrive, triggering CRS. Particularly in coronavirus patients, one of the dangers of CRS is that it can trigger fatal pulmonary issues.
Recognizing this, Enlivex is using Allocetra to target immune rebalancing. According to the company, such immune rebalancing is a way of treating CRS and other conditions like sepsis.
Did Enlivex just find a magic solution? It’s too early to tell, but investors should pay close attention.
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On the date of publication, Sarah Smith did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article.
Sarah Smith is a Web Content Producer for InvestorPlace.com.
