Core Viewpoint - MoonLake Immunotherapeutics has experienced a significant shift in market perception following recent trial outcomes, leading to a downgrade by Jefferies from "Buy" to "Hold" [2][3]. Company Overview - MoonLake Immunotherapeutics specializes in innovative therapies for inflammatory diseases, particularly known for developing sonelokimab [1]. - The company competes in the immunotherapy space against other biotech firms [1]. Recent Developments - On September 29, 2025, Jefferies downgraded MoonLake's stock from "Buy" to "Hold," reflecting a more conservative outlook influenced by trial results [2]. - The downgrade coincided with the week-16 outcomes of the Phase 3 VELA-1 and VELA-2 trials, which evaluated sonelokimab's efficacy against the HiSCR75 endpoint [3]. Trial Details - The VELA trials enrolled 838 patients, comparing a 120mg dose of sonelokimab to a placebo, with all participants receiving the 120mg dose after week 16 until week 48 [4]. - The final evaluation of the trials was conducted at week 52 [4]. Market Reaction - Following the trial outcomes, MoonLake's stock experienced a significant downturn, plummeting approximately 89.93%, which translates to a $55.75 decrease [4]. - As of now, MLTX's stock is valued at $6.25, with fluctuations between a low of $5.96 and a high of $7.13 [5]. - Over the past year, the stock reached a peak of $62.75 and a low of $5.95, with a current market capitalization of approximately $396.57 million [5].
MoonLake Immunotherapeutics Faces Downgrade Amid Trial Results