In the short week of the Thanksgiving holiday, combined with the following Monday and Tuesday, Celsion Corporation (CLSN) rallied to post a gain of more than 45% and has continued to hold these gains. The reason for the movement is related to its lead product, ThermoDox, as the company announced the passing of the 380th progression event in its pivotal study. This passing is significant because it means the company will now begin to analyze and prepare its announcement of data. All early data has been solid, therefore investors are buying in preparation of data, believing significant gains lie ahead in the following few weeks. And if successful, Celsion will not only see a massive change in its valuation, but might also impact the valuation of companies that are developing similar technologies. What makes the movement and the upcoming data so exciting for Celsion is because, if successful, it will open new doors for non-surgical approaches to treat cancer. The company’s therapy, ThermoDox, is a lysolipid thermally sensitive liposome (LTSL) encapsulation of doxorubicin (which is approved and widely used in chemotherapy). The agent is delivered into the cancer patient’s body via intravenous (IV) infusion, and the LTSL’s are allowed to accumulate in cancer tumors. The treatment utilizes radiofrequency ablation to raise the body temperature of the targeted area, which then activates and releases the chemotherapy agent for what could be a more targeted and effective result (reportedly up to 25x greater).
