On Wednesday, TD Cowen sustained its Buy rating on shares of Oruka Therapeutics (NASDAQ: ORKA), following new data presented at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) meeting. The data revealed that ORKA-001, the company's investigational drug, showed a significant increase in half-life during preclinical studies.
The research poster indicated that the subcutaneous (subQ) non-human primate (NHP) half-life of ORKA-001 extended by approximately six days, reaching 30.3 days, compared to previous data. Oruka Therapeutics anticipates that for the drug to be administered once every six months (Q6M) or once every twelve months (Q12M) in humans, the half-life thresholds would need to be around 50 days and 75 days, respectively.
The extended half-life in NHP models is a positive signal for the drug's potential in humans. Typically, humanized effector-less monoclonal antibodies (HLE mAbs), such as ORKA-001, achieve two to four times longer half-life in humans compared to NHPs. This suggests that the probability for ORKA-001 to meet the necessary thresholds for less frequent dosing in humans has significantly increased.
TD Cowen expressed optimism about the forthcoming first human pharmacokinetic (PK) data, which is expected next year. This data will be critical in determining the drug's dosing frequency and overall therapeutic potential.
The firm's reiteration of the Buy rating reflects confidence in Oruka Therapeutics' progress and the prospects of ORKA-001 becoming a viable treatment option with convenient dosing intervals.
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