Nasdaq Rises by 100 Points as US Initial Jobless Claims Decrease
U.S. Stock Market Performance: U.S. stocks showed mixed results, with the Nasdaq Composite gaining over 100 points, while the Dow dipped slightly. The S&P 500 also saw a modest increase, and information technology shares rose by 0.8%.
Jobless Claims and Economic Indicators: Initial jobless claims in the U.S. fell by 33,000 to 231,000, better than market expectations. Additionally, the Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index improved significantly, reaching +23.2 in September.
Notable Stock Movements: 89bio, Inc. and Aeries Technology, Inc. both surged by 85% following acquisition and partnership announcements, respectively. Conversely, Replimune Group, Inc. and BioCardia, Inc. experienced significant declines of 40% and 34%, respectively.
Global Market Trends: European shares generally rose, with the eurozone's STOXX 600 up by 0.8%. In Asia, markets closed mixed, with Japan's Nikkei gaining while Hong Kong's Hang Seng and China's Shanghai Composite fell.
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- Clinical Trial Results: Replimune presented three-year survival data from its IGNYTE trial at the 2026 ASCO annual meeting, revealing that nearly half of treated patients were alive at three years, underscoring the durability and effectiveness of the treatment.
- Survival and Response Rates: The combination therapy achieved a median overall survival of 32.9 months, with an objective response rate of 33.6% and a median duration of response of 24.8 months, indicating that almost 45% of responders maintained their response at three years, showcasing broad applicability among patients.
- Safety Profile Analysis: The regimen demonstrated consistent survival benefits across key patient subgroups and maintained a favorable safety profile, primarily consisting of Grade 1-2 side effects with no new safety signals, further enhancing its clinical application potential.
- Company Development Strategy: Founded in 2015, Replimune is advancing its RPx platform to develop versatile oncolytic immunotherapies that can be used alone or in combination with other treatments, marking significant innovation progress in the field of cancer therapy.
- FDA Resubmission: Replimune successfully convinced the FDA to reconsider its Biologics License Application for RP1, despite two prior rejections, thanks to intervention from White House officials, highlighting government concern for terminally ill patients.
- Positive Market Reaction: Following the announcement of an agreement with the FDA to resubmit the RP1 application, Replimune's shares surged on Friday, reflecting increased investor confidence in the treatment, particularly in combination with Bristol Myers' nivolumab.
- New Data Submission: Replimune plans to present new data not previously shared with the FDA in its upcoming application, which could significantly influence the review outcome and provide new support for RP1's approval.
- Regulatory Investigation Findings: Although the White House requested an investigation into the previous rejections, the report found no procedural errors, indicating that the FDA's review process remains stringent, and Replimune must provide compelling evidence in its new application to secure approval.
- Clinical Trial Results: At the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting, Replimune presented final Phase 1 data for RP2 alone and in combination with nivolumab, showing a 19.0% objective response rate in 85 heavily pretreated patients with advanced solid tumors, indicating its potential in treating late-stage cancers.
- Combination Therapy Efficacy: The combination of RP2 with nivolumab achieved a 19.1% objective response rate and a disease control rate of 48.9%, highlighting the clinical significance of this combination in improving patient survival, particularly in uveal melanoma patients.
- Good Tolerability: Both RP2 monotherapy and its combination with nivolumab demonstrated good tolerability with no unexpected toxicities and no Grade 4 or 5 treatment-related adverse events, indicating a safety advantage for this therapy.
- Immune Response Mechanism: The study revealed that RP2 reprograms the tumor microenvironment from
- FDA Prioritization: Replimune has reached an agreement with the FDA to resubmit its Biologics License Application for RP1, with the FDA treating this as an urgent matter, highlighting the significant unmet needs of advanced melanoma patients and potentially accelerating the review process.
- Stock Surge: Following the agreement, Replimune's shares surged 80% on Friday, breaching the 200-day moving average and marking the largest single-day gain in over seven months, reflecting renewed investor optimism regarding the company's prospects.
- Regulatory Uncertainty: The FDA had previously rejected the application twice, leading CEO Sushil Patel to criticize the review process as inconsistent, which forced the company to cut jobs and scale back U.S. manufacturing operations, indicating the substantial impact of regulatory environments on business operations.
- Leadership Change Impact: The agreement comes after a leadership shakeup at the FDA, with former head Marty Makary stepping down, which has drawn widespread criticism regarding the agency's handling of drug reviews, further exacerbating industry concerns about delays in the approval of new treatments.
- Significant Pre-Market Gains: Replimune Group, Inc. (REPL) surged 69% to $7.92 in pre-market trading, indicating strong market confidence in its potential breakout, which may attract more investor interest.
- Other Gaining Stocks: aTyr Pharma, Inc. (ATYR) rose 15% to $0.56, while Basel Medical Group Ltd. (BMGL) and Artiva Biotherapeutics, Inc. (ARTV) both increased by 10% to $0.64 and $8.34 respectively, reflecting an overall positive sentiment in the biotech sector.
- Pre-Market Decliners: Rocket One Inc. (RKTO) fell 16% to $1.43 in pre-market trading, reflecting market concerns about its future performance, which may lead investors to reassess their investment strategies.
- Other Declining Stocks: SciSparc Ltd. (SPRC) dropped 13% to $9.15, and Aethlon Medical, Inc. (AEMD) decreased by 11% to $2.60, indicating challenges faced by some biotech companies that could impact market confidence.
- FDA Resubmission: Replimune plans to resubmit its melanoma drug application following leadership changes at the FDA, after two previous rejections under former Commissioner Marty Makary, indicating improved alignment between the company and the agency that could offer new hope for patients.
- Positive Market Reaction: Following the announcement, Replimune's shares surged by 70% in premarket trading, reflecting investor optimism about the company's future prospects, with a market value of $386 million as of Thursday's close.
- Clinical Trial Controversy: Replimune accused the FDA of wrongfully blocking its drug, which is seen as a promising treatment for skin cancer, while the FDA claimed the company did not adhere to clinical trial guidelines, highlighting the complexities in the drug approval process.
- Significant Patient Impact: Replimune stated that the constructive dialogue with the FDA represents a crucial step forward for thousands of patients with advanced melanoma who have limited treatment options after prior anti-PD-1 therapies, underscoring the importance of new drug approvals in enhancing patient care.










