Armata shares soar on late-stage trial progress for superbug treatment
Armata Pharmaceuticals shares rose on Monday after the company said it took a major step toward launching late-stage trials of its experimental superbug treatment AP-SA02. In early trading, Armata shares rose 18% to $5.31. The biotech company said it has achieved key clinical, regulatory and manufacturing milestones in support of the planned initiation of a Phase III clinical trial of AP-SA02 and submitted a final test protocol to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The phage therapy targets so-called superbugs such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The company also said that it has completed four engineering batch production of AP-SA02 at its Los Angeles factory. The production of clinical trial materials will be the next step in production before planned phase III studies. Armata said it is still on track to launch the critical Phase III superiority study in the second half of 2026. The trial will evaluate AP-SA02 as an add-on therapy for severe bacteremia due to Staphylococcus aureus, including MRSA, and is designed to support future biologics license applications. In addition, the company said it recently received an additional $2.5 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Defense, bringing total funding under this award to $28.7 million. The new funds will be used to support preparations for the Phase III trial, and Armata said it is also seeking other financing sources to fund the study. CEO Deborah Birx said that advancing AP-SA02 into Phase III remains the company’s top priority. Armata also announced the promotion of David House from senior vice president of finance and chief financial officer to chief financial officer.