PSTV Surges 35% on UnitedHealthcare Pact and CPRIT Funding: What's Next for Biotech's High-Flying Play?

Summary
• Plus Therapeutics (PSTV) surges 35.18% intraday to $0.5464, defying a $0.485 low after a $0.6214 open
• UnitedHealthcare coverage agreement and $1.9M CPRIT funding drive optimism
• 52-week high of $2.31 and 52-week low of $0.1634 highlight extreme volatility

Plus Therapeutics (PSTV) delivered a jaw-dropping 35.18% intraday rally on September 25, 2025, trading as high as $0.6214 before retreating to $0.5464. The surge followed a landmark UnitedHealthcare coverage agreement for its CNSide® diagnostic and a $1.9M non-dilutive CPRIT payment. With a 288% turnover spike and a -2.21 dynamic PE, the stock’s extreme volatility underscores the high-stakes biotech play. Traders now face a critical juncture: is this a breakout or a flash crash in disguise?

UnitedHealthcare Pact and CPRIT Funding Ignite PSTV Rally
The 35.18% intraday surge in PSTV was catalyzed by two pivotal announcements. First, the company secured a national coverage agreement with UnitedHealthcare for its CNSide® Cerebrospinal Fluid Assay, enabling access for 51 million patients. This diagnostic tool, with 92% sensitivity and 95% specificity, has been validated in nine peer-reviewed studies and the FORESEE trial. Second, a $1.9M non-dilutive payment from CPRIT—part of a $17.6M grant—further solidified PSTV’s capital position. These developments directly address unmet needs in leptomeningeal metastases (LM) diagnostics and treatment, positioning PSTV as a key player in a $6B+ CNS cancer market.

Biotech Sector Mixed as AMGN Drags Down
The biotech sector (XBI) showed mixed momentum, with AMGN (Amgen) declining 2.74% despite PSTV’s surge. While PSTV’s LM-focused innovations align with oncology trends, AMGN’s struggles with pricing pressures and R&D delays highlight sector-wide challenges. PSTV’s rally reflects niche demand for CNS cancer solutions, whereas broader biotech ETFs like XBI remain constrained by macroeconomic headwinds and regulatory scrutiny.

Options and ETF Plays for PSTV’s Volatile Rebound
• 200-day MA: $0.748 (above current price), RSI: 40.71 (neutral), MACD: -0.0277 (bearish), Bollinger Bands: $0.385–$0.510 (current price near upper band)
• Key Levels: 30D support/resistance at $0.412–$0.417; 200D support at $0.295–$0.323

PSTV’s technicals suggest a short-term rebound but long-term bearish bias. The stock is trading near its 200-day MA ($0.748) and upper Bollinger Band ($0.510), indicating potential overbought conditions. RSI at 40.71 suggests neutrality, but the negative MACD (-0.0277) and bearish K-line pattern signal caution. Traders should monitor the $0.485 intraday low as a critical support level. With no options data available, leveraged ETFs like XBI (Biotech Select Sector SPDR) could offer indirect exposure, though AMGN’s drag may limit upside. Aggressive bulls may consider a $0.55 call option if the stock breaks above $0.5464, but liquidity constraints and high volatility make this a high-risk play.

Backtest Plus Therapeutics Stock Performance
Below is the event-study back-test you requested. It evaluates how Plus Therapeutics (PSTV.O) behaved after any trading day on which the closing price finished at least 35 % higher than the previous close during the period 2022-01-01 to 2025-09-25.Key points• 4 qualifying surges were detected in the entire sample. • Over the 30-day holding horizon the strategy produced a –7 % average return, under-performing the benchmark (Russell 3000 ETF proxy) by roughly 2 ppts. • 1-day follow-through was weak (-10.2 % on average). The best relative performance occurred on day 2 (+3.2 % vs +0.4 % benchmark), but quickly faded. • With only four events, none of the horizon returns reached statistical significance at the 90 % level; results should therefore be treated as indicative rather than definitive.Parameter notes & assumptions1. Price type: close-to-close change was used because intraday minute data were not required to identify a ≥ 35 % close surge, and end-of-day data are much more robust. 2. Holding window: the engine default of 30 calendar trading days was accepted—long enough to capture post-event drift, yet short enough to isolate the event impact. 3. Benchmark: the engine’s built-in broad-market proxy (total-return index) was used; this keeps the test self-contained. 4. Insufficient volume or data gaps were automatically filtered by the preprocessing logic.Interactive visualisationPlease explore the interactive chart below for cumulative returns, win-rate paths and additional statistics.Insights & next steps• Liquidity matters: The post-event draw-downs coincide with notably thin trading volume in PSTV; incorporating a volume filter or widening the sample to comparable micro-cap oncology peers may increase relevance. • Intraday spikes vs close spikes: If you need true intraday (open-to-high) 35 % jumps instead of close-to-close, please let me know; we can rerun the test with minute-bar data. • Alternative holding rules: Based on the sharp 1-day give-back, a fade (short) strategy the day after a ≥ 35 % close surge might be worth testing.Feel free to request any refinements—different thresholds, tighter windows, or additional risk metrics.

PSTV’s Volatility: A High-Risk Bet on CNS Cancer Innovation
PSTV’s 35.18% intraday surge underscores its potential as a CNS cancer disruptor, but technical indicators and sector dynamics suggest caution. The stock’s proximity to its 200-day MA and upper Bollinger Band hints at a possible pullback, while the UnitedHealthcare agreement and CPRIT funding provide near-term catalysts. However, AMGN’s 2.74% decline highlights biotech sector fragility. Investors should watch for a breakdown below $0.485 or a breakout above $0.55 to validate the rally. For now, PSTV remains a high-risk, high-reward play in a volatile market.