Selecta shares halved on gout combo readout

Selecta Biosciences Inc. (NASDAQ:SELB) sank $12.17 (54%) to $10.36 after reporting updated data from a Phase II trial of lead candidate SEL-212 to treat chronic, severe gout. The therapy is a non-immunogenic combination of pegsiticase (SEL-037) and SVP-Rapamycin (SEL-110).

Selecta reported 20-week data from 79 evaluable patients among eight of the study's 11 ongoing or planned cohorts. Among four cohorts receiving two middle doses of SVP-Rapamycin -- 0.08 or 0.1 mg/kg -- and either of two doses of pegsiticase, Selecta said a majority of patients showed clinical activity through week 12. The company said half of those patients maintained clinical activity through week 20 in the 0.1 mg/kg group; the company did not respond to an inquiry about clinical activity in the 0.08 mg/kg group. The study tested regimens of 0.2 and 0.4 mg/kg pegsiticase plus 0.05, 0.08, 0.1, 0.125 and 0.15 mg/kg SVP-Rapamycin, as well as both pegsiticase doses without SVP-Rapamycin. ...