Shares of AbCellera (NASDAQ: AMCL) soared this morning after the company announced positive top-line Phase 2 results for ABCL635, an experimental non-hormonal treatment for vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause, better known as hot flashes. 

‍

The study met its primary endpoint, with patients receiving a single dose experiencing statistically significant reductions in both the frequency and severity of moderate-to-severe hot flashes after four weeks compared with placebo. The treatment also demonstrated a favorable safety and tolerability profile. 

‍

This is a big deal

‍

One of the more notable aspects of ABCL635 is that it isn't hormone-based.

‍

Many women either cannot take hormone replacement therapy or choose not to because of potential risks or side effects. ABCL635 instead targets NK3R, a receptor in the brain that helps regulate body temperature and has emerged as a promising target for treating menopausal hot flashes without hormones. If approved, it could provide another option in a market that has attracted growing pharmaceutical interest in recent years.

‍

According to the company, patients receiving ABCL635 experienced reductions in hot flashes that compare favorably with currently available non-hormonal therapies. Researchers also reported improvements in sleep quality and overall menopause-related quality of life. These are two measures that can be just as meaningful to patients as reducing the number of daily hot flashes.

‍

For AbCellera, the results represent more than just a successful clinical trial.

‍

The company built its reputation by discovering antibodies for pharmaceutical partners, including its COVID-19 collaboration with Eli Lilly. Over the past several years, however, management has invested heavily in building an internal pipeline of wholly owned drug candidates. ABCL635 is the first program from the company's GPCR platform to reach this stage of development, making these results an important proof point for AbCellera's broader research strategy.

‍

The next step will be discussions with regulators about advancing ABCL635 into Phase 3 studies. While larger trials will ultimately determine whether the treatment reaches the market, today's results move the program one step closer and give AbCellera its strongest internally developed clinical success to date.

‍