Time has come for an October biopharma catalyst calendar. The calendar does not include every single name out there that occurs in October, but it does include the names that are important to keep a track of.
SANA 0.00%↑ :: Oct 2 :: $877M cap :: analysts +188%
More UP421 Type 1 diabetes data. Sana is testing whether transplanted insulin producing cells can survive without immune suppressing drugs and still make insulin, potentially addressing one of the biggest limitations of islet-cell replacement.
SXTP 0.00%↑ :: by Oct 6 :: $4M :: +196%
Interim tafenoquine data in severe babesiosis. The study is looking at whether adding this anti-parasitic drug can help hospitalized patients clear the infection faster, particularly difficult or persistent cases.
CRVO 0.00%↑ :: Oct 8–11 :: $40M :: +486%
Phase 2a neflamapimod data in primary progressive aphasia. The drug targets inflammation related signalling in the brain, with researchers looking for improvements in language and neurological function.
IRD 0.00%↑ :: Oct 17 :: $420M :: +157%
FDA decision on phentolamine eye drops for presbyopia. The idea is to improve near vision pharmacologically, potentially giving some patients an alternative to reading glasses.
IMTX 0.00%↑ :: Oct 19–27 :: $1.16B :: +107%
Updated IMA203CD8 and IMA402 data at ESMO. Both approaches target PRAME, a cancer antigen found across several tumour types, using either engineered immune cells or a bispecific antibody to direct T cells toward the cancer.
RCUS 0.00%↑ :: Oct 20 :: $3.18B :: +55%
New casdatifan kidney cancer data. Casdatifan blocks HIF-2α, a key driver in clear-cell renal cancer, and the update should tell us more about activity across different treatment settings.
ZNTL 0.00%↑ :: Oct 23 :: $246M :: +165%
Azenosertib ovarian-cancer survival data. The drug inhibits WEE1, effectively making cancer cells divide before damaged DNA has been repaired; this update moves beyond response rate into the much more important question of survival.
CMPX 0.00%↑ :: Oct 24 :: $200M :: +396%
Phase 2/3 tovecimig data in biliary-tract cancer. The therapy targets angiogenesis - the blood vessels tumours need to grow - with the trial testing whether adding it to chemotherapy improves outcomes.
GMAB 0.00%↑ :: Oct 23–27 :: $20.9B :: +11%
Updated petosemtamab colorectal-cancer data. This bispecific antibody hits both EGFR and LGR5, aiming to attack tumour cells while also targeting a population thought to behave like cancer stem cells.
HCM 0.00%↑ :: Oct 25–26 :: $2.41B :: +56%
Phase 3 savolitinib + osimertinib lung cancer data. The combination is designed for EGFR-driven cancers that develop MET signalling as a resistance mechanism to osimertinib.
IONS 0.00%↑ :: Oct 26 :: $7.57B :: +84%
FDA decision on bepirovirsen for chronic hepatitis B. Rather than simply suppressing the virus, the antisense drug is trying to reduce viral proteins enough for some patients to achieve a functional cure.
GSK 0.00%↑ :: Oct 26 :: $98.8B :: +20%
Same bepirovirsen FDA catalyst. The key question is whether the Phase 3 data are strong enough to establish a finite treatment capable of keeping hepatitis B controlled after therapy stops.
RAPP 0.00%↑ :: October :: $1.60B :: +90%
RAP-219 Phase 2 topline in bipolar mania. It selectively modulates TARPγ8-containing AMPA receptors in the brain, testing whether a more targeted approach to neuronal signalling can control manic symptoms without broadly suppressing the nervous system.
PCVX 0.00%↑ :: by Oct 31 :: $8.67B :: +87%
VAX-31 Phase 3 OPUS-1 topline. This is Vaxcyte’s 31-valent pneumococcal vaccine, designed to protect against more bacterial strains while maintaining strong immune responses across all of them.
INO 0.00%↑ :: Oct 30 :: $121M :: +171%
FDA decision on INO-3107 for recurrent respiratory papillomatosis. The DNA medicine trains the immune system to attack HPV-6 and HPV-11 infected cells, with the goal of reducing the repeated surgeries these patients often need.
Analyst % = consensus 12-month target upside, not the expected catalyst move.
The ones I’ll be watching particularly closely: PCVX 0.00%↑, INO 0.00%↑, RAPP 0.00%↑, CMPX 0.00%↑, IMTX 0.00%↑ and ZNTL 0.00%↑.
