Shares of BriaCell Therapeutics surged as much as 25% in early trading on Monday before reversing gains as the market closed, after the company said it achieved a key genetic engineering milestone for its Bria-MEL+ melanoma vaccine candidate.
The Vancouver and Philadelphia-based biotech said the milestone advances its off-the-shelf cell-based therapeutic toward clinical development. Bria-MEL+ is designed to trigger a patient’s immune system to target melanoma while remaining immediately available without individualized manufacturing. The company uses a saliva test to select a pre-manufactured cell line tailored to each patient.
BriaCell’s immunotherapy platform was initially developed for metastatic breast cancer and has since been expanded to include melanoma and prostate cancer. The U.S. is projected to record approximately 112,000 new melanoma cases and 8,510 deaths in 2026, according to national estimates.
William V. Williams, President and CEO of BriaCell, said the Bria-MEL+ approach combines personalized immunotherapy with the accessibility of an off-the-shelf vaccine. He added that eliminating individualized manufacturing could broaden patient access, shorten treatment timelines and reduce costs without compromising patient-specific compatibility.
BriaCell’s shares, listed as BCTX on NASDAQ and BCT on the TSX, closed 1.46% higher at CAD 5.56 on August 21. The stock had pared earlier gains by the end of the session.
