Lisata Therapeutics: Promising Preliminary Results and Buy Recommendation

First Berlin Equity Research has reiterated its "BUY" rating for Lisata Therapeutics Inc, maintaining a target price of USD 15.00. Analyst Christian Orquera assessed the results from two studies of Lisata's lead drug candidate, certepetide, presented at the 2025 ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium.

The ASCEND trial in Australia & New Zealand reported a median overall survival of 12.68 months for those treated with certepetide, compared to 9.72 months for placebo, indicating a 30% improvement. The results support further dose optimization in Cohort B, with data expected in mid-2025.

In another trial for advanced non-resectable PDAC, nine out of sixteen patients showed partial response after treatment cycles. These findings suggest certepetide enhances outcomes when used with chemotherapy and immunotherapy, confirming its potential in PDAC therapies.