ASH: Here's Why You Need To Keep An Eye On ARGX, MGNX, KURA, AGIO

(RTTNews) - The 59th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting is just around the corner. More than 250 pharmaceutical companies will be participating in the meeting which will be held between December 9 and December 12, 2017, at Atlanta, Georgia.

Here's another list of companies that will be presenting new data or updated analyses from their hematology clinical trials.

The American Depositary Shares of argenx SE (ARGX) are up nearly 35% year-to-date, and are hovering near their 52-week high of $35.71.

The Company is focused on developing therapeutic antibodies for the treatment of severe autoimmune diseases and cancer, and its most advanced product candidate is ARGX-113.

Three phase II trials with an intravenous formulation of ARGX-113 are underway - one in patients with myasthenia gravis, another in patients with primary immune thrombocytopenia, and the third in patients with pemphigus vulgaris.

argenx's lead oncology asset is ARGX-110, currently under a phase 1/2 clinical trial in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and in phase II testing in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL).

On December 11, 2017, at the ASH meeting, the Company will be reporting interim data from the phase 1/2 clinical trial in AML and phase II study in CTCL.

ARGX closed Friday's (Dec.1) trading at $31.00, down 3.19%.

MacroGenics Inc. (MGNX) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing monoclonal antibody-based therapeutics for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune & infectious diseases.

One of the oncology assets of MacroGenics in clinical development is Flotetuzumab.

Flotetuzumab is under phase I dose-escalation study in the U.S. and Europe in patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or intermediate-2/high risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).

Interim results from this study presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology Annual Congress, ESMO 2017 in September demonstrated acceptable tolerability in the dose escalation portion of the study.

As of the data cut-off date of August 1st 2017, 43% of the patients experienced an objective response.

The Company will be presenting updated clinical data from the phase 1 dose-escalation study of Flotetuzumab on December 11, 2017, at the ASH meeting.

MGNX closed Friday's (Dec.1) trading at $19.39%, up 0.36%.

Kura Oncology Inc. (KURA) is focused on the development of precision medicines for cancer.

The Company's lead drug candidate is Tipifarnib, under phase II testing, for HRAS Mutant Solid Tumors; Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma; Myelodysplastic Syndromes and Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia.

On September 7, 2017, the Company reported positive top line results from its phase II trial of Tipifarnib in patients with HRAS mutant relapsed or refractory squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck (HNSCC), sending the stock as much as 100% the following day.

On December 10, 2017, at the ASH meeting, the Company will be presenting preliminary results from the ongoing phase II trial of Tipifarnib in Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia.

KURA closed Friday's (Dec.1) trading at $15.35, down 4.36%.

Shares of Agios Pharmaceuticals Inc. (AGIO) have climbed about 47% year-to-date.

Agios is focused on developing drugs for treatment of patients with cancer and rare genetic diseases.

The most advanced drug candidate in the pipeline is Ivosidenib, under phase III testing in combination with VIDAZA in frontline acute myeloid leukemia.

Ivosidenib is also under phase I testing in relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (RR-AML); phase I frontline combo study testing Ivosidenib plus induction and consolidation therapy in patients with newly diagnosed AML and phase I/II frontline combo trial of Ivosidenib with VIDAZA in newly diagnosed AML patients.

On December 11, 2017, at the ASH meeting, the Company will be reporting the first data from the above phase 1 and phase I/II trials of Ivosidenib in AML.

AGIO closed Friday's (Dec.1) trading at $61.17, down 0.62%.

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