NovoCure Tumor Treating Fields Shows Improved Outcomes In Tough Pancreatic Cancer

NovoCure Ltd. (NASDAQ:NVCR) shares are up on Thursday following the announcement of positive results from the Phase 2 PANOVA-4 trial of Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) therapy. TTFields Therapy Shows Higher Disease Control Rate The stock is gaining traction as the company reported a disease control rate of 74.4%, significantly higher than the historical control of 48%. In the PANOVA-4 trial, the median duration of TTFields therapy was 25.6 weeks, and the treatment was well-tolerated among participants. The study demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in disease control rate compared to previous studies, which is a promising indicator for the potential of TTFields in treating metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Secondary Endpoints And Survival Data Reinforce Clinical Signal The trial’s secondary endpoints also showed encouraging results, with an objective response rate of 34.6% and a median overall survival of 9.7 months. This news is particularly relevant as pancreatic cancer remains one of the most lethal cancers, with a five-year survival rate of only 13%. FDA Nod For NovoCure Optune Pax Adds Commercial Backdrop Last month, the FDA approved Optune Pax for the treatment of locally advanced pancreatic cancer — marking the first new treatment for the disease in almost 30 years. Optune Pax is a portable therapeutic device that delivers TTFields noninvasively through wearable arrays and is approved for use with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel chemotherapy. NovoCure Technical Analysis The stock is currently trading 4% below its 20-day simple moving average (SMA) and 2.7% below its 100-day SMA, indicating some short-term weakness. Over the past 12 months, shares have decreased by 34.03%, and they are currently positioned closer to their 52-week lows than highs. The RSI is at 42.63, which is considered neutral territory, while the MACD shows a value of -0.2151, below its signal line at -0.0673, indicating bearish pressure on the stock. The combination of neutral RSI and bearish MACD suggests mixed momentum. Key Resistance: $13.50 Key Support: $11.00 Analyst Consensus & Recent Actions: The stock carries a Buy Rating with an average price target of $43.95. Recent analyst moves include: HC Wainwright & Co.: Buy (Raises Target to $49.00) (Feb. 26) Wedbush: Neutral (Maintains Target to $18.00) (Jan. 15) Benzinga Edge Rankings Below is the Benzinga Edge scorecard for NovoCure, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses compared to the broader market: Momentum: Weak (Score: 11.57) — Stock is underperforming the broader market. The Verdict: NovoCure’s Benzinga Edge signal reveals a weak profile, indicating challenges in maintaining momentum despite positive clinical news. NVCR Stock Price Activity: NovoCure shares were up 1.89% at $11.83 at the time of publication on Thursday, according to Benzinga Pro data. Image via Shutterstock