Pyxis Oncology Releases Preliminary Data from MICVO Clinical Trials
Pyxis Oncology announced preliminary data from its ongoing Phase 1 clinical studies evaluating micvotabart pelidotin, a first-in-concept antibody-drug conjugate targeting extradomain-B of fibronectin, a non-cellular structural component of the tumor extracellular matrix, in patients with recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. The update includes preliminary data from both the Phase 1 monotherapy study in 2L+ R/M HNSCC and the Phase 1/2 study evaluating MICVO in combination with Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy, pembrolizumab, in 1L/2L+ R/M HNSCC. The cutoff for all data reported below is as of November 3, 2025. Key findings are as follows: Monotherapy: The ongoing MICVO Phase 1 monotherapy study is a two-part study. Part 1 was a dose escalation study across multiple doses and tumor types, with initial data shared in November 2024. Part 2, a dose expansion cohort at 5.4 mg/kg in 2L+ R/M HNSCC, is currently ongoing. The data below incorporate all R/M HNSCC patients dosed at 5.4 mg/kg in the MICVO Phase 1 monotherapy study. 18 patients were treated at 5.4 mg/kg; intravenous dosed every three weeks; 13 patients were evaluable for response; All patients treated had prior systemic therapy, including: Median of 3 prior lines of therapy; 100% had prior platinum-based therapy; 100% had prior checkpoint inhibitor therapy; 67% had prior taxane therapy; 50% had prior EGFR targeting therapy; Confirmed overall response rate of 46%, including 1 complete response by RECIST v1.1. Confirmed responses observed in both arms of dose expansion: post platinum & anti-PD(L)-1 experienced patients and post EGFRi and/or anti-PD(L)-1 experienced patients Arm 1: 60% confirmed ORR; Arm 2: 25% confirmed ORR; Confirmed responses observed in patients with HPV-positive, HPV-negative, and HPV-not applicable tumors; Disease control rate of 92%; 12 patients demonstrated significant tumor regression or tumor control 1 patient with progressive disease had a verrucous subtype of HNSCC, which is often resistant to chemotherapy and typically managed surgically; MICVO was generally well tolerated, with no Grade 4 ADC payload treatment-related adverse events of interest observed. No Grade 5 events occurred. TRAEs were observed in 89% of patients Grade greater than or equal to3 TRAEs occurred in 56% of patients. TRAEs leading to treatment discontinuation were observed in 28% of patients. 100% of patients who had TRAEs leading to treatment discontinuation had "high bodyweight"; Adjusted Ideal Bodyweight dosing, which has demonstrated improved tolerability without sacrificing activity in clinical studies of other ADCs, is planned to be implemented in ongoing and future clinical studies. Combination Therapy: The ongoing MICVO Phase 1/2 study evaluating MICVO in combination with KEYTRUDA is part of a Clinical Trial Collaboration Agreement with Merck and is currently in dose escalation across multiple doses and tumor types, including 1L/2L+ R/M HNSCC. The data below incorporate all R/M HNSCC patients dosed in the MICVO Phase 1/2 combination study at 3.6 mg/kg and 4.4 mg/kg. 7 patients were treated in total, 4 at 3.6 mg/kg and 3 at 4.4 mg/kg of MICVO, plus fixed dose 200 mg of pembrolizumab; IV Q3W. All patients were evaluable for response. All patients treated to date were HPV-positive. Enrollment of HPV-negative and HPV-not applicable patients is anticipated as additional global clinical trial sites are activated. All patients treated had prior systemic therapy, including: N=4, 1L HNSCC, median of 1 prior therapy; 100% had prior platinum-based therapy administered with radiation in the adjuvant or definitive setting; 25% had prior taxane administered in the neoadjuvant setting; N=3, 2L+ HNSCC, median of 3 prior lines of therapy; 100% had prior platinum-based therapy; 100% had prior checkpoint inhibitor therapy; 33% had prior taxane therapy; Confirmed overall response rate of 71%; Responses occurred across a range of PD(L)-1 CPS scores; Responses were observed in patients who received and had disease progression following prior checkpoint inhibitor treatment; DCR of 100%; All 7 patients demonstrated significant tumor regression. MICVO was generally well tolerated, with no Grade 3 or Grade 4 ADC payload TRAEs of interest observed. No Grade 5 events occurred.TRAEs were observed in 86% of patients; There were no TRAEs leading to treatment discontinuation; Lack of overlapping toxicities between MICVO and KEYTRUDA observed to date.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Analyst Views on PYXS
About PYXS
About the author

- Clinical Data Breakthrough: Oncolytics Biotech's pelareorep demonstrated a 29% objective response rate in GOBLET Cohort 4, significantly surpassing the historical benchmark of 10%, indicating substantial clinical value in third-line anal cancer patients with no FDA-approved treatment options.
- Duration of Response: The median duration of response reached approximately 17 months, far exceeding the standard treatment's 9.5 months, showcasing pelareorep's durable efficacy in heavily pretreated patients and addressing a critical unmet medical need.
- FDA Interaction Plan: Oncolytics plans to hold a Type C meeting with the FDA in Q1 2026 to discuss its registration-directed clinical study plan for second-line and later SCAC, with the potential for accelerated approval if data meets expectations.
- Strategic Investment and Expansion: The company is enhancing its expertise in gastrointestinal oncology through the expansion of its Scientific Advisory Board, further validating its Phase 3 study design for first-line metastatic pancreatic cancer, demonstrating its strategic positioning in the oncology immunotherapy landscape.
- Clinical Trial Progress: ALX Oncology Holdings Inc. announced positive data from its Phase 2 trial of evorpacept for indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, leading to a 10.17% stock increase to $1.30, with detailed results set to be presented at the ASH Annual Meeting on December 7, 2025, potentially boosting investor confidence.
- Sales Performance Surge: Globus Medical, Inc. reported preliminary unaudited Q4 2025 sales of approximately $823.2 million, a 25.2% year-over-year increase, with full-year sales expected to reach $2.936 billion, reflecting strong performance and growth potential in the medical device market.
- Future Outlook: Globus Medical set its 2026 revenue guidance between $3.18 billion and $3.22 billion, with projected non-GAAP earnings per share ranging from $4.30 to $4.40, indicating confidence in future performance that may attract more investor interest.
- Industry Developments: Acrivon Therapeutics, Inc. plans to release clinical data updates for ACR-368 and ACR-2316 on January 8, 2026, resulting in a 6.44% stock increase to $3.14, reflecting market optimism regarding its R&D progress, which could influence future financing and partnership opportunities.
Preliminary Data Release: Pyxis Oncology announced preliminary results from Phase 1 studies of micvotabart pelidotin (MICVO) for recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, showing a 46% overall response rate in monotherapy and 71% in combination with Keytruda, with high disease control rates.
Future Plans: The company plans to present updated data from both studies in mid and late 2026 and is evaluating the path forward for pivotal studies of MICVO as both a monotherapy and in combination with pembrolizumab.
Financial Update: Pyxis completed a sale of rights for $11 million to support MICVO development, but concerns over cash reserves and data interpretability led to a significant drop in share price, with analysts expressing caution regarding the trial's small sample size and tolerability issues.
Market Reaction: Following the data release, Pyxis shares fell approximately 49%, reflecting investor concerns about the limited interpretability of the results and the company's financial outlook, despite a slight recovery in premarket trading.

Analyst Upgrades: Truist Securities raised price targets for NXP Semiconductors and Tesla, maintaining a Buy and Hold rating respectively, while Wells Fargo upgraded Generac Holdings from Equal-Weight to Overweight.
Analyst Downgrades: Barclays downgraded Agco Corp from Equal-Weight to Underweight, cutting its price target significantly, while JP Morgan downgraded Lockheed Martin from Overweight to Neutral despite raising its price target.
Other Price Target Changes: Bernstein increased Caterpillar's price target while maintaining a Market Perform rating, and Piper Sandler raised Assurant's target with an Overweight rating.
Nike's Price Target Cut: Telsey Advisory Group reduced Nike's price target from $75 to $72, keeping a Market Perform rating as the stock closed lower.
U.S. Stock Market Performance: U.S. stocks saw gains, with the Nasdaq Composite rising over 200 points, while the Dow and S&P 500 also experienced increases. Consumer discretionary shares rose by 2%, but energy stocks fell by 0.5%.
Inflation and Economic Indicators: U.S. inflation cooled to 2.7% in November, below expectations, boosting investor confidence in the Federal Reserve's easing cycle. Initial jobless claims decreased to 224,000, and the Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index fell significantly.
Notable Stock Movements: Athira Pharma's shares surged 84% after a development agreement, while Trump Media & Technology Group and FuelCell Energy also saw significant gains. Conversely, Insmed Inc and Pyxis Oncology experienced sharp declines in their stock prices.
Global Market Trends: European shares rose, with the eurozone's STOXX 600 gaining 0.56%, while Asian markets closed mixed, with Japan's Nikkei falling and China's Shanghai Composite rising slightly.
U.S. Stock Market Performance: U.S. stocks rose significantly, with the Dow Jones gaining approximately 400 points, while the NASDAQ and S&P 500 also saw notable increases.
Accenture's Strong Earnings: Accenture reported better-than-expected first-quarter results for 2026, with earnings of $3.94 per share and sales of $18.7 billion, surpassing analyst estimates.
Equities Movement: Athira Pharma's shares surged 88% following an acquisition announcement, while Mega Fortune Co Ltd and Pyxis Oncology saw significant declines of 59% and 54%, respectively.
Economic Indicators: The Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index fell sharply, initial jobless claims decreased, and the annual inflation rate dropped to 2.7%, the lowest since July.










