Novocure: Steady Ahead of Key Milestones

Core Viewpoint - Novocure's fiscal Q2 2025 results showed a 6% increase in revenue year-over-year, exceeding Wall Street expectations, while the company continues to develop noninvasive treatments for solid-tumor cancers [3][5]. Financial Performance - Revenue for Q2 2025 was $158.8 million, compared to $150.4 million in Q2 2024, marking a 6% increase [2]. - Earnings per share for Q2 2025 were -$0.36, slightly worse than -$0.31 in Q2 2024, but still beating expectations [2]. - Gross margin decreased to 74% from 77%, a decline of 300 basis points attributed to new product rollout costs [2][4]. - Total active patients increased from 3,963 in Q2 2024 to 4,331 in Q2 2025, a growth of 9% [2]. Product Development and Market Strategy - Revenue from the Optune Lua lung cancer treatment was $2.4 million, following its U.S. approval last fall [3]. - The company plans to seek FDA premarket approval for treatments targeting pancreatic and brain cancers by the end of the year, with trial data expected in the first half of 2026 [6]. Market Reaction - The market response to the results was muted, with Novocure's stock up about 2% in premarket trading, indicating that the results were largely in line with expectations [5]. Long-term Outlook - Despite the current progress, Novocure's stock has seen a significant decline of over 92% from its 2021 high due to previous disappointing trial results, highlighting the inherent risks in biotech investments [7].