Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.
What: Shares of Immunomedics (IMMU), a clinical-stage developer of monoclonal antibodies to help treat cancer and autoimmune disorders, rose as much as 12% after announcing the receipt of a U.S. patent for its antibody-SN-38 conjugates.
So what: Immunomedics' patent covers its linking technology (the aforementioned antibody-drug conjugate) that allows a chemotherapy toxin to be piggybacked on an antibody and delivered directly to a targeted cancer cell where it's released when it comes into contact with that cancer cell. Currently, Immunomedics has two ADC's in development, IMMU-132 and IMMU-130, which are both in mid-stage clinical trials. Data from these trials is expected by the second-quarter. Immunomedics also announced a new patent with "additional claims for the labeling of peptides and protein, including antibodies that utilize F-18.
Now what: It's not too late to score one more win for Immunomedics in 2013! This patent issuance is important as it protects the company's proprietary ADC platform from competitors and could set up Immunomedics for a flurry of partnerships if these upcoming mid-stage trials prove successful. This is certainly an exciting name you'll want to keep an eye on in 2014.
