Insmed Catapults 113% on Positive ASPEN Study ResultsInsmed ( NASDAQ:INSM ), a biotech company, has successfully developed a lung disease drug, brensocatib, which has been shown to significantly reduce the frequency of respiratory symptoms such as chronic cough in a late-stage study. The drug, which is expected to be launched in mid-2025, is expected to be approved by the FDA in the fourth quarter of this year. The company also plans to launch the drug in Europe and Japan in the first half of 2026.
Bronchiectasis is a chronic lung disease that affects 350,000 to 500,000 adults in the United States and has no approved treatments currently. The results validate Insmed's theory that blocking an enzyme called DPP1 can help treat some inflammatory diseases. The market potential for brensocatib is "very attractive," with the potential to expand several-fold with a simple CT scan, potentially identifying more NCFB patients who are currently diagnosed with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).
Insmed ( NASDAQ:INSM ) tested two doses of brensocatib, with the low dose leading to a 21.1% reduction in the number of lung exacerbations a patient would be expected to experience in a year, while the high dose led to a 19.4% reduction in the annualized rate of pulmonary exacerbations. The results were encouraging, but questions remain about whether patients received Arcturus' drug on top of Vertex Pharmaceuticals' Trikafta, a standard treatment for cystic fibrosis.
Insmed ( NASDAQ:INSM ) stock has skyrocketed 112.9% to 46.84 in morning trades on the stock market. The low dose led to a 21.1% reduction in the number of lung exacerbations a patient would be expected to experience in a year, while the high dose resulted in a 19.4% reduction in the annualized rate of pulmonary exacerbations.
In related news, Arcturus Therapeutics (ARCT) stock soared 23.1% to 37.42 on a positive update for its cystic fibrosis treatment. Patients with cystic fibrosis have mutations in their CFTR gene, and Arcturus uses an inhaled drug to deliver messenger RNA to patients' lungs. Four patients received two doses of Arcturus' drug over eight days, and on average, they had a 4% improvement in how much air they could expel for one second, a key test of lung function in cystic fibrosis.
Insmed stock ( NASDAQ:INSM ) has outperformed lately and has bounded off its 50-day Moving Average (MA) on the news. The stock is currently overbought trading with a Relative Strength Index (RSI) of 83.47.
