Pliant Therapeutics Inc. (PLRX)

• 34M O/S
• It up 50% since the IPO in early June 🔥
• Working with Novartis (NVS) on some of their trials https://pliantrx.com/pipeline/
• Not much news out on them yet, this is about the latest details:
• We are a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing novel therapies for the treatment of fibrosis. Our initial focus is on treating fibrosis by inhibiting integrin-mediated activation of TGF-ß. We have applied our deep understanding of fibrosis biology, along with our medicinal chemistry and translational medicine expertise to develop a set of proprietary tools designed to discover and de-risk product candidates quickly and efficiently. Our wholly-owned lead product candidate, PLN-74809, is an oral small-molecule dual selective inhibitor of avß6 and avß1 integrins that we are developing for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, or IPF, and primary sclerosing cholangitis, or PSC. We have completed a Phase 1a SAD/MAD trial and a Phase 1b proof-of-mechanism trial of PLN-74809 in IPF and are recruiting two Phase 2a trials in IPF. We submitted an investigational new drug application, or IND, for PLN-74809 for the treatment of PSC in March of 2020, and plan to initiate a Phase 2a PSC trial in the second half of 2020, when it is feasible to do so in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our second product candidate, PLN-1474, is a small-molecule selective inhibitor of avß1 for the treatment of liver fibrosis associated with NASH, which we have partnered with Novartis. PLN-1474 is currently undergoing a Phase 1 trial with top-line data expected by the end of 2020, subject to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to our clinical programs, we currently have preclinical integrin-based programs targeting oncology and muscular dystrophies.