Spring in the air, as BeyondSpring's plinabulin scores in NSCLC

Shares of Sino-American biotech BeyondSpring (Nasdaq: BYSI) leapt 176% by the close of trading, after rising as much as 211% earlier in the day, after the company announced positive top-line data of DUBLIN-3 registrational trial in plinabulin in combination with docetaxel to treat 2nd and 3rd line non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (EGFR wild type) compared to docetaxel alone (n=559).

Plinabulin is a first-in-class, selective immunomodulating microtubule-binding agent (SIMBA), which is a potent antigen presenting cell (APC) inducer.

The data released showed that compared to docetaxel alone, the combination met the primary endpoint of increasing overall survival (mean OS, p = 0.03; OS log rank, p <0.04) and met key secondary endpoints, including significantly improving ORR, PFS and 24- and 36-month OS rates, and significant reduction in the incidence of Grade 4 neutropenia.