Abivax stock sinks over 30% after bowel disease drug trial update
Shares of French biotechnology Abivax It fell as much as 32% after reporting new data on the presence of lead, an ulcerative colitis drug.
The drug met its endpoints showing clinically meaningful efficacy and a cure rate of approximately 40% for both doses tested, but also showed cases of cancer among patients taking the higher dose.
Abivax said the cancer cases were considered “unrelated to treatment by investigators” and no organ-specific clustering was observed.
“[The] “The cancer signal complicates matters,” a Jefferies analyst said. “Even if there is irrelevant noise, we think the overhang will be real, especially given the absence of other value-impacting data events in the next period.” [year]”
The stock has gained nearly 1,700% in 2025, but shares were down 7% entering trading on Tuesday. It was last traded down more than 27%.
Abivax has been sharing since the beginning of the year.
The trial results, published late Monday, were from a maintenance study in which Abivax evaluated the effect of the drug oefazimod for 44 weeks. This comes after results from a late-stage trial for the ulcerative colitis drug in mid-2025 surpassed even the most optimistic expectations.
Analysts describe the experimental drug as a potential best-in-class treatment for ulcerative colitis. Abivax is also testing the drug for Crohn’s disease, opening it up to a multibillion-dollar market for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).
““The 44-week maintenance data demonstrate the potential for obefazimod to provide meaningful efficacy and durable disease control in ulcerative colitis,” said Abivax’s David Rubin, who is also director of the inflammatory bowel disease center at the University of Chicago Medicine.
“The novel mechanism, sustained clinical remission, and favorable long-term safety profile highlight the potential to address a significant unmet need in UC“
The company has been positioned as a priority acquisition target, with unconfirmed speculation that big pharma has its eye on the clinical-stage biotech led by CEO Marc de Garidel.
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