Plus Therapeutics Soars 12.65% on $17.6M CPRIT Grant for Cancer Research

On July 24, 2025, Plus Therapeutics saw a significant pre-market rise of 12.65%, driven by a series of positive developments in its cancer research initiatives.

Plus Therapeutics has received a $1.6 million advance payment from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT). This payment is part of a $17.6 million grant awarded to the company for its leptomeningeal cancer targeted radiotherapeutic development program. The funding will support the clinical development of REYOBIQ for the ReSPECT-LM dose optimization trial and further develop the CNSide LM diagnostic test as a key pivotal trial endpoint.

Leptomeningeal metastases (LM) are a severe complication of advanced cancer, affecting the fluid-lined structures of the central nervous system. This condition occurs in approximately 5% of patients with metastatic cancer, with breast cancer, lung cancer, and melanoma being the most common sources. The median survival for patients with LM is typically 2-6 months, and effective treatment options are limited, highlighting the urgent need for novel therapies.

REYOBIQ (rhenium Re186 obisbemeda) is a novel injectable radiotherapy specifically formulated to deliver direct targeted high dose radiation in CNS tumors in a safe, effective, and convenient manner to optimize patient outcomes. REYOBIQ has the potential to reduce off-target risks and improve outcomes for CNS cancer patients, versus currently approved therapies, with a more targeted and potent radiation dose. Rhenium-186 is an ideal radioisotope for CNS therapeutic applications due to its short half-life, beta energy for destroying cancerous tissue, and gamma energy for real-time imaging.

REYOBIQ is being evaluated for the treatment of recurrent glioblastoma, leptomeningeal metastases, and pediatric brain cancer in the ReSPECT-GBM, ReSPECT-LM, and ReSPECT-PBC clinical trials. The ReSPECT-GBM trial is supported by an award from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the ReSPECT-LM trial is funded by a three-year $17.6 million grant by CPRIT. The ReSPECT-PBC clinical trial for pediatric brain cancer is supported by a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense's Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program.