Roman Perkowski

Intellia Therapeutics shares surged Monday as investors reacted to additional late-stage data for lonvoguran ziclumeran, or lonvo-z, the company’s one-time CRISPR-based therapy for hereditary angioedema, a rare genetic disease that causes unpredictable and potentially life-threatening swelling attacks. The Nasdaq-listed biotech was recently trading at $14.92, up roughly 23%, with volume far above normal levels. Stocks rise when new information increases expected future sales, profits or approval odds; they fall when investors see lower odds, higher risks or dilution. The move followed Intellia’s June 13 update from the Phase 3 HAELO trial, a late-stage human study typically used to support regulatory approval. The company said lonvo-z met the primary endpoint with an 87% reduction in mean monthly attacks versus placebo during weeks 5 to 28, while 62% of treated patients were attack-free and therapy-free over the six-month efficacy period, compared with 11% on placebo. Additional endpoints showed an 89% reduction in attacks requiring emergency on-demand treatment and a 91% reduction in moderate-to-severe attacks. Intellia CEO John Leonard said the results were the “first Phase 3 results” to show the promise of in vivo CRISPR gene editing, meaning gene editing performed inside the body rather than on cells edited outside the body.