Pliant Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:PLRX) saw its stock climb 6.5% in premarket trading Thursday following the release of promising interim findings from a Phase 1 study evaluating its cancer therapy candidate, PLN-101095.
The biotech firm, which focuses on clinical-stage drug development, said the investigational treatment showed encouraging anti-tumor effects when used alongside pembrolizumab in patients with advanced solid tumors who had previously stopped responding to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs).
According to the update, researchers observed one complete response and three partial responses across the three highest dose levels among heavily pretreated participants. The responses were reported in multiple tumor types, including cholangiocarcinoma, melanoma, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, and non-small cell lung cancer.
A key finding was that patients who responded experienced notable rises in plasma interferon gamma levels following initial monotherapy with PLN-101095, suggesting a potential biomarker for identifying treatment benefit. Among responders, median time on therapy reached 15 months.
“These first-in-human data suggest that this novel approach of selectively targeting αvβ8 and αvβ1 may hold promise for treating patients with advanced solid tumors resistant to checkpoint inhibitors,” said Manish Sharma, M.D., Co-Director of Clinical Research at START Midwest in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
PLN-101095 is an orally administered small-molecule dual inhibitor targeting specific integrin receptors and is Pliant’s fourth drug candidate to enter clinical trials. With the positive signals from this study, the company intends to advance the program into a Phase 1b expansion trial in 2026.
The South San Francisco–based biotech also emphasized its solid financial footing, stating that its current cash position should fund planned operations into 2028.