NovoCure Ltd. ( NVCR ) shares are up on Thursday following the announcement of positive results from the Phase 2 PANOVA-4 trial of Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) therapy.
The stock is gaining traction as the company reported a disease control rate of 74.4%, significantly higher than the historical control of 48%.
In the PANOVA-4 trial, the median duration of TTFields therapy was 25.6 weeks, and the treatment was well-tolerated among participants.
The study demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in disease control rate compared to previous studies, which is a promising indicator for the potential of TTFields in treating metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
The trial’s secondary endpoints also showed encouraging results, with an objective response rate of 34.6% and a median overall survival of 9.7 months.
This news is particularly relevant as pancreatic cancer remains one of the most lethal cancers, with a five-year survival rate of only 13%.
Last month, the FDA approved Optune Pax for the treatment of locally advanced pancreatic cancer — marking the first new treatment for the disease in almost 30 years.
Optune Pax is a portable therapeutic device that delivers TTFields noninvasively through wearable arrays and is approved for use with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel chemotherapy.
The stock is currently trading 4% below its 20-day simple moving average (SMA) and 2.7% below its 100-day SMA, indicating some short-term weakness.
Over the past 12 months, shares have decreased by 34.03%, and they are currently positioned closer to their 52-week lows than highs.
The RSI is at 42.63, which is considered neutral territory, while the MACD shows a value of -0.2151, below its signal line at -0.0673, indicating bearish pressure on the stock.
The combination of neutral RSI and bearish MACD suggests mixed momentum.
Key Resistance: $13.50
Key Support: $11.00
Analyst Consensus & Recent Actions: The stock carries a Buy Rating with an average price target of $43.95. Recent analyst moves include:
HC Wainwright & Co.: Buy (Raises Target to $49.00) (Feb. 26)
Wedbush: Neutral (Maintains Target to $18.00) (Jan. 15)
Below is the Benzinga Edge scorecard for NovoCure ( NVCR ), highlighting its strengths and weaknesses compared to the broader market:
Momentum: Weak (Score: 11.57) — Stock is underperforming the broader market.
The Verdict: NovoCure’s Benzinga Edge signal reveals a weak profile, indicating challenges in maintaining momentum despite positive clinical news.
NVCR Stock Price Activity: NovoCure ( NVCR ) shares were up 1.89% at $11.83 at the time of publication on Thursday, according to Benzinga Pro data.
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