RCKT Stock Tanks on Patient Death in Danon Disease Study

Core Viewpoint - Rocket Pharmaceuticals (RCKT) shares fell 62.8% following the announcement of a patient death in a pivotal phase II study for its gene therapy candidate RP-A501, aimed at treating Danon disease [1][2] Company Developments - RCKT has voluntarily paused further dosing in the RP-A501 study after the FDA placed a clinical hold on it [2] - The company is conducting a comprehensive root cause analysis to understand the serious adverse event that led to the patient's death [2] - RCKT is collaborating with the FDA, Independent Data Safety Monitoring Committee, clinical investigators, and scientific experts to ensure patient safety and to restart the study as soon as possible [3] Stock Performance - Year-to-date, RCKT shares have declined 81.5%, significantly underperforming the industry, which has seen a decline of 5.8% [4] Pipeline Setbacks - RCKT has faced setbacks with its pipeline candidates, particularly with Kresladi, which is intended to treat severe leukocyte adhesion deficiency-I (LAD-I) [5] - The FDA issued a complete response letter (CRL) regarding the biologics license application (BLA) for Kresladi, requesting limited additional information on Chemistry Manufacturing and Controls (CMC) [7] - This marks the second request for additional information from the FDA regarding Kresladi's CMC, with the review period extended by three months in February 2024 [7] - The company plans to file a complete BLA to address the CRL later in 2025 [8]