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Investing.com - H.C. Wainwright has reiterated its Buy rating on Instil Bio Inc (NASDAQ:TIL) with a price target of $125.00. The stock, currently trading at $23.80, has shown significant volatility with a 31.6% gain over the past six months despite a recent 24.4% weekly decline. According to InvestingPro, analysts maintain a bullish stance with price targets ranging from $51 to $180.
The firm cited promising data for AXN-2510 presented at the World Conference on Lung Cancer in Barcelona, Spain, where the treatment achieved a 35% objective response rate (ORR) in IO-pretreated squamous non-small cell lung cancer (SQ NSCLC).
This performance exceeded H.C. Wainwright’s expectations, surpassing their "bear-case" threshold of approximately 15% and approaching their "slam-dunk" scenario of 40%, particularly notable as it reflects single-agent activity.
For context, the firm noted that PD-1 rechallenge after progression in KEYNOTE-042 yielded only a 15% ORR in a mixed histology population, suggesting AXN-2510’s monotherapy performance is clinically meaningful and potentially best-in-class among PD-L1 × VEGF bispecifics.
H.C. Wainwright highlighted the treatment’s clean safety profile, early durability signs, and pointed to a valuation gap with Instil Bio’s $136 million enterprise value compared to SMMT’s approximately $13 billion. With a current market capitalization of $160.67 million and a moderate debt level, InvestingPro data shows the company maintains strong liquidity with a current ratio of 14.97, though it remains unprofitable over the last twelve months.
In other recent news, Instil Bio Inc has announced several significant developments. The company reported positive preliminary data from a Phase 2 study of its cancer therapy in China, showing promising results in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The study indicated partial responses in 62% of patients, with an 80% response rate in squamous NSCLC patients. Additionally, Instil Bio received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its Investigational New Drug (IND) application for AXN-2510, a PD-L1xVEGF bispecific antibody. This clearance will allow the company to begin a phase 1 trial for patients with relapsed or refractory solid tumors by the end of 2025. Meanwhile, JMP Securities has reiterated its Market Perform rating for Instil Bio, citing a need for more robust results. The rating follows the company’s updates on its financial results and corporate milestones. Instil Bio’s recent announcements highlight its ongoing efforts in cancer therapy development.
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