AC Immune SA’s shares advanced after H.C. Wainwright reiterated a Buy rating and a $12 price target on the biotech’s drug candidate ACI-19764, following positive early-stage trial results.
The NASDAQ-listed company’s stock has surged 14.6% over the past week to $2.90, valuing the firm at approximately $288 million. H.C. Wainwright’s price target of $12 aligns closely with the highest analyst target of $11.98 cited in the note.
ACI-19764, an NLRP3 inhibitor designed to suppress IL-18 upstream of the inflammasome, demonstrated brain penetration via cerebrospinal fluid exposure in the first part of a two-section Phase 1 readout reported on August 20. Daily doses of 10mg or less exceeded the IC90 threshold, while blinded whole-blood assay data indicated dose-dependent inhibition of IL-1β. Safety data showed no serious adverse events or treatment withdrawals across single and multiple ascending dose cohorts up to 20mg per day. The drug’s serum half-life of over 30 hours supports once-daily dosing.
AC Immune has initiated a Phase 1b cardiovascular-risk cohort study, targeting patients with elevated hsCRP, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. Initial results from this cohort are expected before year-end, with full Phase 1/1b data anticipated in the first half of 2027.
Separately, interim 12-month data from the ABATE Phase 1b/2 trial involving 74 patients with prodromal Alzheimer’s disease showed ACI-24, an anti-amyloid beta immunotherapy, was generally safe and well tolerated. No cases of amyloid-related imaging abnormalities-edema were observed.
The company also secured a $4 million research grant from The Vijay and Marie Goradia Charitable Foundation to extend Part 1 of the Phase 2 VacSYn trial of ACI-7104 in early Parkinson’s disease by two years. Final data from this trial is expected in the second half of 2026.
