BEAM's IND for BEAM-302 in Genetic Disorder Study Gets FDA Clearance
BEAM-302 is a liver-targeting lipid-nanoparticle (LNP) formulation of base editing reagents designed to correct the disease-causing PiZ mutation.
AATD is an inherited genetic disorder that can cause early onset of emphysema and liver disease. Currently, there are no approved curative treatments for the given indication.
In June 2024, Beam Therapeutics dosed the first patient in a phase I/II study on BEAM-302 for the treatment of AATD in the United Kingdom. The candidate has also received clinical trial authorization from New Zealand, Australia, the Netherlands and Ireland.
Year to date, shares of Beam Therapeutics have declined 10.6% against the industry's increase of 3.3%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Earlier this month, Beam Therapeutics announced positive initial safety and efficacy data from the phase I/II study evaluating BEAM-302 for treating patients with AATD.
The initial safety finding suggests that treatment with BEAM-302 was well tolerated across all dose levels, leading to durable dose-dependent correction of the disease-causing mutation.
Data from the study showed that treatment with a single dose of BEAM-302 demonstrated durable, dose-dependent increases in total and functional alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT). Also, new production of corrected protein (M-AAT) and decreases in toxic mutant Z-AAT were observed in circulation across the initial three doses.
The phase I/II study consists of two parts. Part A of the study will investigate BEAM-302 in AATD patients with lung disease, while part B of the study will investigate the candidate in AATD patients with mild-to-moderate liver disease with or without lung disease.
The company plans to dose the first patient in part B of the phase I/II study in the second half of 2025.
Beam Therapeutics expects to enroll additional patients in a fourth-dose cohort in the ongoing phase I/II study, with data from the same expected in the second half of 2025.
Beam Therapeutics currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Some better-ranked stocks in the biotech sector are Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc JAZZ, Dynavax Technologies Corporation DVAX and Krystal Biotech, Inc. KRYS, each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
In the past 60 days, estimates for Jazz Pharmaceuticals' earnings per share have increased from $22.06 to $23.33 for 2025. During the same time, earnings per share estimates for 2026 have increased from $23.13 to $23.35. Year to date, shares of JAZZ have risen 2.6%.
JAZZ's earnings beat estimates in three of the trailing four quarters while missing the same on the remaining occasion, the average surprise being 3.20%.
In the past 60 days, estimates for Dynavax's earnings per share have increased from 32 cents to 33 cents for 2025. During the same time, earnings per share have increased from 49 cents to 57 cents for 2026. Year to date, shares of DVAX have risen 7.4%.
DVAX's earnings beat estimates in three of the trailing four quarters while missing the same on the remaining occasion, the average surprise being 9.58%.
In the past 60 days, estimates for Krystal Biotech's earnings per share have increased from $5.50 to $7.06 for 2025. During the same time, earnings per share estimates for 2026 have increased from $9.15 to $11. Year to date, shares of KRYS have rallied 16.7%.
KRYS' earnings beat estimates in three of the trailing four quarters while missing the same on the remaining occasion, the average surprise being 3.29%.
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
Dynavax Technologies Corporation (DVAX) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Jazz Pharmaceuticals PLC (JAZZ) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Beam Therapeutics Inc. (BEAM) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Krystal Biotech, Inc. (KRYS) : Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
Zacks Investment Research
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Berkshire Hathaway B (BRK.B) Stock Declines While Market Improves: Some Information for Investors
Berkshire Hathaway B (BRK.B) closed at $480.48 in the latest trading session, marking a -1.86% move from the prior day. The stock trailed the S&P 500, which registered a daily gain of 0.48%. On the other hand, the Dow registered a loss of 0.02%, and the technology-centric Nasdaq increased by 0.94%. The stock of company has fallen by 1.65% in the past month, lagging the Finance sector's gain of 3.5% and the S&P 500's gain of 5.13%. Investors will be eagerly watching for the performance of Berkshire Hathaway B in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company's upcoming EPS is projected at $5.24, signifying a 2.60% drop compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Meanwhile, the latest consensus estimate predicts the revenue to be $98.5 billion, indicating a 5.18% increase compared to the same quarter of the previous year. For the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $20.53 per share and revenue of $403.3 billion, which would represent changes of -6.68% and +8.58%, respectively, from the prior year. Investors might also notice recent changes to analyst estimates for Berkshire Hathaway B. These latest adjustments often mirror the shifting dynamics of short-term business patterns. As a result, we can interpret positive estimate revisions as a good sign for the business outlook. Empirical research indicates that these revisions in estimates have a direct correlation with impending stock price performance. We developed the Zacks Rank to capitalize on this phenomenon. Our system takes these estimate changes into account and delivers a clear, actionable rating model. The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate remained stagnant. Right now, Berkshire Hathaway B possesses a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). From a valuation perspective, Berkshire Hathaway B is currently exchanging hands at a Forward P/E ratio of 23.85. For comparison, its industry has an average Forward P/E of 12, which means Berkshire Hathaway B is trading at a premium to the group. Investors should also note that BRK.B has a PEG ratio of 3.41 right now. The PEG ratio is akin to the commonly utilized P/E ratio, but this measure also incorporates the company's anticipated earnings growth rate. The Insurance - Property and Casualty was holding an average PEG ratio of 2.73 at yesterday's closing price. The Insurance - Property and Casualty industry is part of the Finance sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 49, putting it in the top 20% of all 250+ industries. The Zacks Industry Rank assesses the vigor of our specific industry groups by computing the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks incorporated in the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1. Keep in mind to rely on to watch all these stock-impacting metrics, and more, in the succeeding trading sessions. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK.B) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research
Chicago Tribune
11 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
President Donald Trump promises clean water. His proposed budget guts needed protections.
President Donald Trump promises clean water for every American, but his latest budget eviscerates federal funding to replace toxic lead pipes, filter out forever chemicals and keep sewage out of lakes and streams. Clean water grants to states would be cut to $303.5 million, down from $2.76 billion set aside in President Joe Biden's last budget. Illinois' share would dip to $11 million, compared with $105.5 million this year. States loan the money to cities and towns at low interest rates, enabling communities to spread out the cost of critical government services people take for granted, such as replacing leaky street mains, maintaining treatment plants and rehabbing water towers. Principal payments often are waived for low-income municipalities. Under Biden the government expanded decades-old programs to speed up the removal of lead pipes in older cities like Chicago and begin to protect Americans from forever chemicals — cancer-causing compounds also known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS. Trump and his far-right acolytes are pushing to shortchange those efforts in part to award tax breaks that largely would benefit the ultra-wealthy. The Republican-controlled Congress appears to be along for the ride. 'These programs are key reasons why we have cleaner water across the country,' said Mary Gade, who served as Midwest administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Republican President George W. Bush. 'What they are doing is creating a chaotic situation where we won't be able to provide basic protections.' Among other things, the loan programs this year will replace 16 miles of water mains in Chicago, build a station to receive Lake Michigan water in west suburban Yorkville and finance new pumps in northwest suburban Lake Zurich. Scores of other projects were delayed even before Trump moved to all but eliminate the grant programs. In 2023, the EPA estimated $650 billion is needed nationwide during the next 20 years to catch up. To put that into further perspective, as of June 24 the Chicago Department of Water Management had only replaced 8,915 of more than 400,000 lead service lines across the city. Asked how significantly pared-down grant programs square with Trump's promises of a clean, healthy environment, the EPA issued a statement: 'These resources reflect the administration's commitment to environmental stewardship, cooperative federalism, and delivering results that make a real difference in Americans' lives. EPA is focused on returning the agency to administering core statutory obligations as Congress intended.' Congress created what are known as state revolving funds to carry out the goals of the Clean Water Act, one of the bedrock environmental laws approved by bipartisan majorities during the early 1970s. Illinois received more than $72 million this year for wastewater projects and $33 million to protect drinking water. In May, the Illinois EPA approved $10 million in loans for Chicago to replace lead service lines next year as part of a $138 million outlay for similar projects statewide. Replacements worth another $239 million were delayed because funding wasn't available, according to state records. If Illinois only gets $11 million in revolving fund grants next year, as Trump is proposing, the waiting list will get longer. Other projects that could be on the chopping block include a new well and treatment plant in Cary and new filtration equipment in Fox Lake to remove PFAS from drinking water. Trump's proposed cuts follow the agenda of Project 2025, an anti-government blueprint written in part by Russell Vought, now chief of the White House budget office. The spending plan Vought's office drafted for Trump would further reduce federal support for clean water, air and energy programs gutted last week by congressional Republicans. 'We want their funding to be shut down so that the EPA can't do all of the rules against our energy industry because they have no bandwidth financially to do so,' Vought told supporters of his pro-Trump think tank in 2023, according to a video first reported by ProPublica, a nonprofit journalism organization. 'We want to put them in trauma.' People outside Trump's MAGA orbit have sharply criticized the dramatic changes. 'If approved (by Congress), we believe these cuts … will have unintended yet foreseeable negative impacts for business, jobs growth and economic development,' a bipartisan group of former environmental officials from 31 states wrote in a June 23 statement. 'This is a reckless and short-sighted proposal that will lead to higher levels of toxic pollution in the air we breathe and water we drink across the nation,' said Michelle Roos, executive director of the nonprofit Environmental Protection Network, a group of former U.S. EPA officials. 'This is a wrecking ball approach that would gut America's frontline defense for protecting people's health and environment.' Nicole Cantello, president of the union for EPA employees based in Chicago, said morale at the agency is far worse than it was during Trump's first term. 'The Trump people talk out of both sides of their mouths,' Cantello said. 'They repeatedly attack people who believe in the agency's mission. It breaks your heart.' More than 270 EPA employees from across the country signed a letter last week condemning what they called the Trump administration's moves to benefit polluters, reverse progress to address pollution in low-income communities of color and dismantle the agency's science office. On Thursday, 144 of the agency officials who signed the letter received emails saying they had been placed on leave for two weeks 'pending an administrative investigation.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
CareTrust REIT (CTRE) is an Incredible Growth Stock: 3 Reasons Why
Investors seek growth stocks to capitalize on above-average growth in financials that help these securities grab the market's attention and produce exceptional returns. However, it isn't easy to find a great growth stock. By their very nature, these stocks carry above-average risk and volatility. Moreover, if a company's growth story is over or nearing its end, betting on it could lead to significant loss. However, it's pretty easy to find cutting-edge growth stocks with the help of the Zacks Growth Style Score (part of the Zacks Style Scores system), which looks beyond the traditional growth attributes to analyze a company's real growth prospects. CareTrust REIT (CTRE) is on the list of such stocks currently recommended by our proprietary system. In addition to a favorable Growth Score, it carries a top Zacks Rank. Studies have shown that stocks with the best growth features consistently outperform the market. And for stocks that have a combination of a Growth Score of A or B and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy), returns are even better. While there are numerous reasons why the stock of this health care real estate investment trust is a great growth pick right now, we have highlighted three of the most important factors below: Earnings growth is arguably the most important factor, as stocks exhibiting exceptionally surging profit levels tend to attract the attention of most investors. And for growth investors, double-digit earnings growth is definitely preferable, and often an indication of strong prospects (and stock price gains) for the company under consideration. While the historical EPS growth rate for CareTrust REIT is 1.1%, investors should actually focus on the projected growth. The company's EPS is expected to grow 20.9% this year, crushing the industry average, which calls for EPS growth of 0.8%. Cash is the lifeblood of any business, but higher-than-average cash flow growth is more beneficial and important for growth-oriented companies than for mature companies. That's because, high cash accumulation enables these companies to undertake new projects without raising expensive outside funds. Right now, year-over-year cash flow growth for CareTrust REIT is 67.6%, which is higher than many of its peers. In fact, the rate compares to the industry average of 2.7%. While investors should actually consider the current cash flow growth, it's worth taking a look at the historical rate too for putting the current reading into proper perspective. The company's annualized cash flow growth rate has been 12.5% over the past 3-5 years versus the industry average of 3.1%. Superiority of a stock in terms of the metrics outlined above can be further validated by looking at the trend in earnings estimate revisions. A positive trend is of course favorable here. Empirical research shows that there is a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements. There have been upward revisions in current-year earnings estimates for CareTrust REIT. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has surged 0.5% over the past month. While the overall earnings estimate revisions have made CareTrust REIT a Zacks Rank #2 stock, it has earned itself a Growth Score of B based on a number of factors, including the ones discussed above. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. This combination indicates that CareTrust REIT is a potential outperformer and a solid choice for growth investors. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report CareTrust REIT, Inc. (CTRE) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Sign in to access your portfolio
