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BASKING RIDGE, N.J. - Lisata Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:LSTA), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company currently trading near its 52-week low of $1.87, has entered into a research agreement with Catalent Inc. to evaluate the efficacy of Lisata’s cyclic peptide, certepetide, in combination with Catalent’s SMARTag® antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) platform. The collaboration aims to advance the treatment of advanced solid tumors and other serious diseases.
Under the agreement, Catalent will bear all research and development costs while Lisata provides consulting support. Lisata will receive an upfront payment and may receive future considerations based on preclinical evaluation outcomes. According to InvestingPro data, Lisata maintains a strong financial position with more cash than debt and a healthy current ratio of 6.16, providing adequate resources for its development programs.
Certepetide, an investigational drug, is designed to enhance the delivery of anti-cancer drugs to solid tumors. The partnership seeks to leverage certepetide’s ability to penetrate tumors when combined with Catalent’s ADC technology, potentially improving the precision and efficacy of oncology treatments.
Kristen K. Buck, M.D., Executive Vice President of Research and Development and Chief Medical Officer at Lisata, expressed optimism about the potential of combining both technologies. Penelope Drake, Head of R&D, Bioconjugates at Catalent, echoed this sentiment, anticipating the collaboration could lead to innovative treatment options.
Lisata Therapeutics focuses on developing therapies for the treatment of advanced solid tumors and has established several commercial and R&D partnerships. The company anticipates announcing milestones over the next 1.5 years and projects its capital to fund operations into the second quarter of 2026.
Certepetide has garnered Fast Track designation in the U.S. and Orphan Drug Designation for pancreatic cancer in the U.S. and E.U., among other recognitions. Its ability to modify the tumor microenvironment has been shown to make tumors more susceptible to immunotherapies.
The information in this article is based on a press release statement.
In other recent news, Lisata Therapeutics Inc. reported its fourth-quarter earnings for 2024, showcasing a total revenue of $1 million, mainly from a license fee agreement with KUVA Labs. The company successfully reduced its operating expenses by 8.9% year-over-year, resulting in a net loss of $20 million, a slight improvement from the previous year’s $20.8 million loss. Lisata maintains a cash reserve of $31.2 million, which is expected to support operations into the second quarter of 2026. The company is focusing on the development of setepatide, a novel treatment for advanced solid tumors, and anticipates 2025 to be a "data-rich" year with potential advancements in clinical trials. In terms of analyst activity, there were no specific upgrades or downgrades mentioned in the recent developments. However, the company continues to engage in strategic collaborations to explore the therapeutic potential of its product. These financial and operational updates reflect Lisata’s ongoing efforts to address unmet medical needs in cancer treatment.
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