Aktis Oncology (AKTS) is well positioned to build a new class of targeted radiation-based cancer drugs, helped by two programs aimed at tumor markers that have little direct competition, Wedbush Securities said Wednesday in a report.
The company's lead drug, AKY-1189, is designed to home in on Nectin-4, a protein that sits on the surface of many bladder and other solid tumors. The drug uses a different approach than Padcev, the approved Nectin-4 therapy, and early lab work showed stronger activity against tumor cells in certain models, Wedbush said. First human dose-escalation results are expected in early 2027, the report said.
A second drug, AKY-2519, targets B7-H3, another tumor-surface marker that currently has no approved targeted therapy, Wedbush said. The drug is being tested in advanced prostate cancer and could also apply to lung cancer. Initial human data in prostate cancer are expected in 2027, the report said.
Wedbush also highlighted Aktis' multiple supply agreements for actinium-225, the radioactive material used in its drugs, along with an in-house manufacturing facility expected to begin operating in H2.
Wedbush initiated coverage of Aktis with an outperform rating and a $35 price target on the stock.
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