Core Insights - Several small-cap stocks experienced significant gains in after-hours trading, driven by strategic updates, leadership changes, and pipeline developments, indicating renewed investor interest [1] Adaptimmune Therapeutics plc (ADAP) - ADAP's stock surged 30% in after-hours trading, reaching $0.2020 after a 98% gain during the regular session, closing at $0.16 [2] - The company reported a net loss of $30.3 million for Q2 2025, with total revenue of $13.7 million, primarily from product sales of TECELRA, which saw over 150% growth compared to Q1 [3] - In August, Adaptimmune sold several cell therapies to US WorldMeds for $55 million upfront, with potential future milestone payments of up to $30 million, allowing the company to repay its debt and restructure [4] Butterfly Network Inc. (BFLY) - BFLY's stock rose 10.58% in after-hours trading to $2.09, following a 15.95% increase during the regular session [4] - The company was recognized in TIME's list of the World's Top HealthTech Companies for 2025, and appointed a new Chief Technology Officer, enhancing its focus on innovation [5] - A recent study confirmed that Butterfly-enabled POCUS programs significantly reduce hospital stays and costs, validating its clinical impact [5] Aquestive Therapeutics Inc. (AQST) - AQST's stock increased 7.69% in after-hours trading to $5.32, continuing a year-to-date rise of nearly 39% [6] - The FDA confirmed it will not require an advisory committee meeting for AQST's NDA for Anaphylm, streamlining the regulatory process with a PDUFA date set for January 2026 [7] - The company secured a $75 million strategic funding agreement to support the potential launch of Anaphylm, reinforcing its commercial readiness [7] ALX Oncology Holdings Inc. (ALXO) - ALXO's stock rose 9.17% in after-hours trading to $1.19, following a 3.81% increase during the regular session [8] - Insider buying activity, particularly by CEO Jason Lettmann, who purchased 92,233 shares, has boosted investor confidence [9] - The company's lead candidate, Evorpacept, is in multiple Phase 1 and Phase 2 trials across various cancers, collaborating with major partners [9] Ekso Bionics Holdings Inc. (EKSO) - EKSO's stock increased 5.37% in after-hours trading to $4.51, following a 9.74% gain during the regular session [10] - The company's inclusion in the NVIDIA Connect Program has spotlighted its efforts to integrate AI into its technologies [11] - EKSO launched Virtual eksoUniversity to support continuing education for physical therapists, potentially broadening adoption of its rehabilitation devices [11] CEL-SCI Corp. (CVM) - CVM's stock rose 5.27% in after-hours trading to $9.39, after a 1.02% increase during the regular session [12] - The company completed a $10 million public offering to support ongoing clinical and regulatory efforts [13] - CEL-SCI filed for Breakthrough Medicine Designation in Saudi Arabia for its lead candidate, Multikine, which could expedite patient access and reimbursement [13]

ALX2004 Program Overview - ALX2004 is an EGFR-targeted ADC with a DAR of 8, utilizing a topoisomerase I inhibitor (Top1i) payload, with IND cleared in April 2025[13, 98] - ALX2004 is designed to maximize the therapeutic window and overcome toxicity challenges, with a focus on EGFR-expressing solid tumors[14, 99] - ALX2004's Phase 1a dose escalation trial is planned to start in mid-2025, targeting NSCLC, CRC, HNSCC, and ESCC[14, 99] ALX2004 Design and Preclinical Data - ALX2004's EGFR antibody binding epitope is selected to minimize off-tumor skin toxicities, and its affinity is tuned to maximize the therapeutic window[20] - The linker-payload is designed for lysosomal cleavage, similar to deruxtecan ADCs, with improved linker-antibody stability to minimize off-tumor payload release[20] - Preclinical data demonstrates dose-dependent activity across a range of tumors and EGFR expression levels, with a differentiated safety profile in NHP toxicity studies, showing no EGFR-related skin toxicity at clinically relevant doses[24] - In preclinical studies, ALX2004 demonstrated superior anti-tumor activity compared to DXd ADCs in CDX mouse models, showing improved bystander effect[47, 49] Clinical Development Plan - The Phase 1 trial is rationally designed around tumor types with established sensitivity to EGFR-directed therapies, including HNSCC, CRC, NSCLC, and ESCC, representing over 250,000 patient prevalence in the US[87] - The Phase 1 clinical development plan includes dose escalation (Phase 1a, up to 40 patients), dose exploration (up to 50 patients), and dose expansion (Phase 1b, up to 80 patients)[89, 90, 91] - ALX Oncology anticipates initial safety data for ALX2004 in EGFR-expressing solid tumors in the first half of 2026[101]