Executive Director - Computational Systems Biology

VSTM stock clocks best day in 11 months after positive cancer drug trial update and multiple price-target hikes. Published: Oct 16 2026, 03:00 AM IST * FB * TW * Linkdin * Whatsapp * GNFollow Us * Alliance Global on Thursday raised its price target on VSTM to $22 from $18 and maintained a Buy rating. * RBC Capital analyst Leonid Timashev said that while VS-7375 tolerability is not as favorable as Revolution Medicines' experimental drug Zoldonrasib, the overall profile remains acceptable. * BTIG said VS-7375 could rival Revolution Medicines' approved drug Daraxonrasib in second-line metastatic pancreatic disease. Shares of Verastem Oncology (VSTM) jumped 20% on Thursday, clocking its best day since Nov. 2025, as analysts lifted price targets following a positive update on the company's experimental drug VS-7375 in second-line metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. On Wednesday, Verastem said that in its ongoing early-stage TARGET-D 101 trial, VS-7375 produced a 50% confirmed overall response rate in second-line metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma at the 900 mg daily dose, along with responses in lung and colorectal cancers and a manageable safety profile dominated by low-grade gastrointestinal side effects. Verastem also added that the company has aligned with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on a late-stage path in first-line metastatic pancreatic cancer using chemotherapy-free regimens, with the study expected to open by year-end. Wall street weighs in on VSTM. Alliance Global on Thursday subsequently raised its price target to $22 from $18 and maintained a Buy rating, describing the updated TARGET-D 101 data as showing a highly tolerable safety profile and efficacy that is in line with or better than other drugs in the same class and in development, potentially best-in-class. RBC Capital analyst Leonid Timashev increased the target to $19 from $14 while keeping an Outperform rating, calling the drug clearly active with hints of best-in-class efficacy in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. He noted that while tolerability is not as favorable as one competitor, Revolution Medicines' experimental drug Zoldonrasib, the overall profile remains acceptable. BTIG raised its target to $24 from $18 and kept a Buy rating, saying the detailed update across second-line pancreatic cancer, second-line non-small cell lung cancer, and third-line colorectal cancer points to class-leading efficacy that could rival Revolution Medicines' approved drug Daraxonrasib in second-line metastatic pancreatic disease. Jefferies analyst Faisal Khurshid raised the price target to $13 from $11 and maintained a Buy rating. Aligning on a favorable late-stage trial path, he added, positions Verastem only about seven months behind competitors Revolution Medicines and Incyte in the race to develop drugs within the same class. CEO change and Capital raising. Verastem on Wednesday also priced a $250 million offering of common stock and pre-funded warrants at $8 per share to support VS-7375 development and general purposes, expected to close around October 15. The company further announced a planned CEO transition, with longtime executive Daniel Paterson retiring effective January 1, 2027, and board member Michael P. Bailey succeeding him. How did VSTM retail traders react? On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around VSTM stayed within 'extremely bullish' territory over the past 24 hours, while message volume stayed at 'extremely high' levels. "The more I watch it, the more constructive it looks," a Stocktwits user wrote about the stock. View this Stocktwits post Another user drew a parallel between VSTM's current rally and Iovance Biotherapeutics Inc (IOVA) stock's rally last month, which lasted for several days. View this Stocktwits post VSTM stock has gained 2o% year-to-date. For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.< Stay updated with all the latest Business News, including market trends, Share Market News, stock updates, taxation, IPOs, banking, finance, real estate, savings, and investments. Track daily Gold Price changes, updates on DA Hike, and the latest developments on the 8th Pay Commission. Get in-depth analysis, expert opinions, and real-time updates to make informed financial decisions. Download the Asianet News Official App from the Android Play Store and iPhone App Store to stay ahead in business. 0 Comments / 0 New

RevMed nears EU okay for pancreatic cancer drug Rasonque. Revolution Medicines is likely just weeks away from getting EU approval for its oral RAS inhibitor Rasonque as a treatment for pancreatic cancer, after the drug was recommended by the EMA's human medicines committee. The CHMP has backed Rasonque (daraxonrasib) for adults with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma who have received at least one previous treatment - the same indication that was cleared by the US FDA in August. The positive opinion is based on phase 3 results with Rasonque from the RASolute 302 trial that caused a stir at this year's ASCO cancer congress, with a doubling in overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) compared to chemotherapy and big improvements in quality-of-life scores. The outcome was remarkable, particularly as metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma is a notoriously difficult-to-treat cancer with a low survival rate. "People with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma whose disease has worsened after prior treatment have limited treatment options and a poor prognosis," said the EMA, which granted Rasonque an expedited, phased review - which cut its assessment time from 210 days to less than 150 days - as a high-priority medicine that could address this unmet medical need. "Given the seriousness of the disease, [and] the limited efficacy and substantial toxicity of standard-of-care chemotherapy, there is a need for better treatment options for these patients." The RAS protein is a key driver for many tumour types, including the majority of pancreatic cancers. For many years, it was considered an 'undruggable' target, until RevMed solved the problem with daraxonrasib, constructed by binding RAS to a protein called cyclophilin A to form a complex that can attach to the RAS protein and block its activity. The pan-RAS category is pretty crowded, with more than a dozen drug candidates in clinical testing, but Revolution seems to have a healthy first-mover advantage with other trials underway in pancreatic adenocarcinoma, as well as non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Those include the RASolute 303 trial in first-line pancreatic cancer, RASolute 304 in adjuvant treatment of tumours treatable with surgery, and RASolve 301 looking at first-, second-, and third-line treatment of metastatic NSCLC. There has been some noise about Rasonque's slightly lower tumour response rate in patients with KRAS G12D mutations in RASolute 302, which analysts have suggested could open the door to competition from selective drugs like Verastem Oncology's VS-7375, which is in phase 3 for pancreatic cancer. RevMed is, however, also developing a KRAS G12D-selective inhibitor, zoldonrasib, both as a monotherapy and in combination with Rasonque. 16 October, 2026

Two biotech stocks, Revolution Medicines and Oruka Therapeutics, have more than doubled this year, beating most of the Magnificent Seven tech group. Wall Street's average price targets suggest further gains. Revolution Medicines won approval for Rasonque, a treatment for certain patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. In a Phase 3 study, patients lived a median 13.2 months, against 6.7 months on chemotherapy. Its market cap is about $41 billion, and its average price target of $259.14 implies 35.7% upside. Oruka Therapeutics has no approved drug. Its psoriasis candidate, ORKA-001, could be dosed once or twice a year, and has shown strong results in a Phase 2a study. The average price target of $155 implies 95% upside, but the drug has not entered Phase 3 trials.