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Perioperative Imfinzi plus neoadjuvant EV showed statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in event-free survival and overall survival in muscle-invasive bladder cancer in the Phase III VOLGA trial

On May 13, 2026 Astrazeneca reported high-level results from a planned interim analysis of the VOLGA Phase III trial showed perioperative treatment with Imfinzi (durvalumab) in combination with neoadjuvant enfortumab vedotin (EV) demonstrated statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) versus standard of care. Patients were ineligible for or had declined cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Patients in the comparator arm had a radical cystectomy (surgery to remove the bladder) with or without approved adjuvant treatment.

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Perioperative Imfinzi plus Imjudo (tremelimumab) in combination with neoadjuvant EV demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in EFS and a favourable trend for OS; however, the OS data were not statistically significant at this planned interim analysis and will be formally reassessed at a subsequent analysis.

Approximately one in four patients with bladder cancer has muscle-invasive disease, where the tumour invades the muscle wall of the bladder, without distant metastases.1,2 As many as 50% of patients are ineligible for cisplatin-based chemotherapy due to impaired renal function or comorbidities.3,4 The standard treatment for these patients has historically been radical cystectomy alone but, despite undergoing this major surgery, patients experience high rates of recurrence and have a poor prognosis.3-5

Thomas Powles, MD, Professor, Chair of Barts Cancer Centre (QMUL), London, UK, and International Coordinating Investigator for the trial, said: "Up to half of patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer are not eligible for cisplatin and face high rates of disease recurrence, even after having their bladder removed, leaving a significant need for new effective and well-tolerated treatments. The VOLGA results show that perioperative durvalumab significantly extends event-free survival and overall survival when combined with neoadjuvant enfortumab vedotin, with a manageable safety profile, compared to surgery for patients in this curative-intent setting."

Susan Galbraith, Executive Vice President, Oncology Haematology R&D, AstraZeneca, said: "This interim analysis from the VOLGA trial highlights the benefit of perioperative Imfinzi with neoadjuvant enfortumab vedotin compared to surgery, a novel regimen that optimises treatment options for patients. Together with NIAGARA and POTOMAC, VOLGA is our third positive readout in bladder cancer, setting a strong foundation for Imfinzi as the immunotherapy backbone in this early-stage, curative-intent setting."

The safety and tolerability of Imfinzi with or without Imjudo plus EV was consistent with the known safety profiles of the individual medicines, with no new safety signals identified. These data will be presented at a forthcoming medical meeting and shared with global regulatory authorities.

Imfinzi is approved in over 40 countries for patients with cisplatin-eligible MIBC, based on the NIAGARA Phase III trial. Additionally, Imfinzi added to Bacillus Calmette-Guérin therapy met the primary endpoint of disease-free survival for patients with high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer in the POTOMAC Phase III trial and is currently under review in the US, European Union (EU), Japan and several other countries. Imfinzi is also being investigated in locally advanced or metastatic disease in the NILE Phase III trial.  

Notes

Bladder cancer
Bladder cancer is the 9th most common cancer in the world, with more than 614,000 cases diagnosed each year.6 The most common type is urothelial carcinoma, which begins in the urothelial cells of the urinary tract.7

In 2024, an estimated 117,500 patients were treated for MIBC with the standard of care, which included neoadjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy and radical cystectomy.5,8 In 2025, the NIAGARA Phase III trial established a new standard by adding perioperative Imfinzi to the regimen.9 However, up to half of patients are not eligible to receive cisplatin, and approximately 50% of MIBC patients who undergo bladder removal surgery experience disease recurrence.3,5 New treatment options that prevent both progression before surgery and recurrence after surgery are critically needed in this curative-intent setting.

VOLGA
VOLGA is a Phase III, randomised, open-label, multi-centre global trial evaluating perioperative Imfinzi with or without Imjudo in combination with neoadjuvant EV as treatment for patients with MIBC undergoing radical cystectomy who are not eligible for or have declined cisplatin compared to radical cystectomy with or without approved adjuvant therapy. In the trial, 695 patients were randomised 1:1:1 to Arm 1 (three cycles of Imfinzi and EV, plus two cycles of Imjudo prior to surgery, followed by nine cycles of Imfinzi plus one cycle of Imjudo as adjuvant therapy), Arm 2 (three cycles of Imfinzi and EV prior to surgery, followed by nine cycles of Imfinzi adjuvant monotherapy) and Arm 3, the comparator arm.

The trial was conducted in 182 centres across 25 countries in Europe, North America, South America and Asia. Its dual primary endpoints are EFS, defined as the time from randomisation to first recurrence post-radical cystectomy, first progression in patients who did not undergo radical cystectomy, failure to undergo radical cystectomy in patients with residual disease or death due to any cause, for both experimental arms versus the comparator arm. Secondary endpoints include OS (Arm 1 vs. Arm 3 and Arm 2 vs. Arm 3), pathologic complete response, disease-free survival and pathologic downstaging across both experimental arms.

Imfinzi
Imfinzi (durvalumab) is a human monoclonal antibody that binds to the PD-L1 protein and blocks the interaction of PD-L1 with the PD-1 and CD80 proteins, countering the tumour’s immune-evading tactics and releasing the inhibition of immune responses.

In addition to its indication in MIBC, Imfinzi is the global standard of care based on OS in the curative-intent setting of unresectable, Stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in patients whose disease has not progressed after chemoradiotherapy (CRT). Additionally, Imfinzi is approved as a perioperative treatment in combination with neoadjuvant chemotherapy in resectable NSCLC, and in combination with a short course of Imjudo (tremelimumab) and chemotherapy for the treatment of metastatic NSCLC. Imfinzi is also approved for limited-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC) in patients whose disease has not progressed following concurrent platinum-based CRT; and in combination with chemotherapy (etoposide and either carboplatin or cisplatin) for the treatment of extensive-stage SCLC.

In addition to its indications in lung cancers, Imfinzi is approved in combination with chemotherapy (gemcitabine plus cisplatin) in locally advanced or metastatic biliary tract cancer and in combination with Imjudo in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Imfinzi is also approved as a monotherapy in unresectable HCC in Japan and the EU. In resectable gastric and gastroesophageal junction cancers, perioperative Imfinzi added to standard-of-care chemotherapy is approved in the US and EU. Additionally, in April 2026, Imfinzi in combination with Imjudo, lenvatinib and transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE) demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in the primary endpoint of progression-free survival versus TACE alone for patients with unresectable HCC eligible for embolisation in the EMERALD-3 Phase III trial.

Imfinzi in combination with chemotherapy followed by Imfinzi monotherapy is approved as a 1st-line treatment for primary advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer (mismatch repair deficient disease only in US and EU). Imfinzi in combination with chemotherapy followed by Lynparza (olaparib) and Imfinzi is approved for patients with mismatch repair proficient advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer in EU and Japan.

Since the first approval in May 2017, more than 414,000 patients have been treated with Imfinzi. As part of a broad development programme, Imfinzi is being tested as a single treatment and in combinations with other anti-cancer treatments for patients with SCLC, NSCLC, bladder cancer, breast cancer, several gastrointestinal and gynaecologic cancers, and other solid tumours.

Imjudo
Imjudo (tremelimumab) is a human monoclonal antibody that targets the activity of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4). Imjudo blocks the activity of CTLA-4, contributing to T-cell activation, priming the immune response to cancer and fostering cancer cell death. In addition to its approved indications in liver and lung cancers, Imjudo is being tested in combination with Imfinzi across other tumour types including SCLC (ADRIATIC) and bladder cancer (NILE).

(Press release, AstraZeneca, MAY 13, 2026, View Source [SID1234665643])

Xenetic Biosciences Reports First Quarter 2026 Financial Results and Highlights Continued Advancement of DNase Oncology Platform

On May 13, 2026 Xenetic Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:XBIO) ("Xenetic" or the "Company"), a biopharmaceutical company focused on advancing innovative immuno-oncology technologies addressing difficult to treat cancers, reported its financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 and provided a corporate update on the advancement of its innovative DNase oncology platform.

Recent Highlights

Generated robust translational data supporting the DNase I platform across multiple oncology settings

Completed process improvement and analytical development activities supporting future clinical manufacturing readiness

Established translational and biomarker insights intended to help inform and de-risk future clinical trial design

Collaboration partner received approval from Israeli Ministry of Health to conduct investigator-initiated exploratory study of DNase I in combination with anti-CD19 CAR T cells in large B-cell lymphoma

"We entered 2026 with a clear focus on advancing the translational, manufacturing and clinical foundation of our DNase I platform while maintaining financial discipline," said James Parslow, Interim Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Xenetic. "During the quarter, we achieved important progress across investigator-initiated studies, translational research and manufacturing readiness activities. We believe the growing body of translational evidence supporting NET-targeting approaches, combined with the expanding understanding of NETs as drivers of tumor progression, immune suppression and therapy resistance, continues to strengthen the potential opportunity for DNase I as a differentiated adjunctive immuno-oncology therapy across multiple cancer settings."

Xenetic’s proprietary DNase technology is being developed as a potential adjunctive therapeutic approach designed to improve the effectiveness of existing cancer treatments, including immunotherapies, through the targeting of NETs, which are increasingly recognized as key drivers of immune suppression and therapeutic resistance within the tumor microenvironment.

Summary of Financial Results for First Quarter 2026

Royalty revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2026 increased approximately 36% to approximately $0.8 million, compared to approximately $0.6 million for the comparable prior year period, primarily driven by increased royalty payments recognized under the Company’s sublicense agreement with Takeda Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd.

Research and development expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2026 decreased approximately 25% to approximately $0.7 million from approximately $0.9 million for the comparable prior year period, primarily due to lower preclinical and exploratory study costs, partially offset by increased manufacturing development efforts supporting the Company’s DNase I program.

General and administrative expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2026 decreased by approximately 1.4%, to approximately $0.6 million from approximately $0.7 million in the comparable quarter in 2025. The decrease was primarily due to a decrease in personnel costs and share-based expenses related to our interim Chief Executive Officer substantially offset by an increase in legal expenses related to our strategic review process during the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025.

Net loss for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 decreased approximately 49% to approximately $0.5 million, compared to approximately $0.9 million for the same period in 2025.

The Company ended the first quarter of 2026 with approximately $7.3 million in cash and cash equivalents, compared to approximately $7.9 million as of December 31, 2025.

(Press release, Xenetic Biosciences, MAY 13, 2026, View Source [SID1234665642])

ZUSDURI Median Duration of Response Still Not Reached with 64.5% 36-month Duration of Response in the Pivotal ENVISION Trial

On May 13, 2026 UroGen Pharma Ltd. (Nasdaq: URGN), a biotech company dedicated to developing and commercializing innovative solutions that treat urothelial and specialty cancers, reported a 36-month duration of response (DOR) of 64.5% (95% CI, 54.6% – 72.8%) by Kaplan-Meier estimate in patients who achieved a complete response (CR) at three months (79.6%) in the pivotal Phase 3 ENVISION trial of ZUSDURI (mitomycin) for intravesical solution. At a median follow-up of 35.5 months, the median DOR had not been reached. These data demonstrate that a substantial proportion of complete responders remained disease-free at three years, and durable outcomes were achieved without the need for maintenance therapy.

"This update from the pivotal ENVISION trial shows that many patients who achieve a complete response with ZUSDURI remain disease-free through three years," said Sandip Prasad, M.D., M.Phil., Director of Genitourinary Surgical Oncology and Vice Chair of Urology at Morristown Medical Center/Atlantic Health System, NJ, and Principal Investigator of the ENVISION trial. "Among patients who achieved a complete response, the event rate over time has remained stable. Importantly, ZUSDURI’s durability was achieved without maintenance therapy, supporting a treatment approach that can provide lasting disease control while reducing ongoing treatment burden for patients."

As a non-surgical, in-office treatment, ZUSDURI offers patients an opportunity to achieve meaningful disease- and treatment-free living without the burden of repeated TURBT procedures under general anesthesia. The current standard of care for LG-IR-NMIBC is transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT), a surgical procedure typically performed under general anesthesia. Due to high recurrence rates following surgery, patients often undergo multiple TURBTs over their lifetime, leading to a cycle of repeat procedures that can impact quality of life and increase cumulative risk, particularly in older patients with comorbidities. An estimated 59,000 patients with LG-IR-NMIBC recur annually.

"The ENVISION 36-month DOR data reinforce ZUSDURI’s potential to shift the treatment paradigm for recurrent LG-IR-NMIBC," said Mark Schoenberg, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, UroGen. "By delivering durable responses without maintenance therapy, ZUSDURI provides an opportunity to move beyond the cycle of repeated surgical interventions and toward a more durable, lower-burden treatment approach over time."

The most common (≥ 10%) adverse reactions (ARs), including laboratory abnormalities, that occurred in patients were dysuria, increased potassium, increased creatinine, decreased hemoglobin, increased eosinophils, increased aspartate aminotransferase, increased alanine aminotransferase, decreased lymphocytes, urinary tract infection, decreased neutrophils, and hematuria. ARs were mainly mild to moderate. Serious ARs occurred in 12% of patients, including urinary retention (0.8%) and urethral stenosis (0.4%).

About ZUSDURI

ZUSDURI (mitomycin) for intravesical solution is an innovative drug formulation of mitomycin, approved for the treatment of adults with recurrent LG-IR-NMIBC. Utilizing UroGen’s proprietary RTGel technology (a sustained release, hydrogel-based formulation), ZUSDURI is delivered directly into the bladder by a trained healthcare professional using a urinary catheter in an outpatient setting, thereby enabling the treatment of tumors by non-surgical means.

About Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer (NMIBC)
LG-IR-NMIBC affects around 82,000 people in the United States every year and of those, an estimated 59,000 are recurrent. Bladder cancer primarily affects older populations with increased risk of comorbidities, with the median age of diagnosis being 73 years. Guideline recommendations for the management of NMIBC include TURBT as the standard of care. Up to 70 percent of NMIBC patients experience at least one recurrence, and LG-IR-NMIBC patients are even more likely to recur and face repeated TURBT procedures. Learn more about non-muscle invasive bladder cancer at www.BladderCancerAnswers.com.

About ENVISION
The Phase 3 ENVISION trial is a single-arm, multinational, multicenter pivotal study evaluating the efficacy and safety of ZUSDURI (mitomycin) for intravesical solution as a chemoablative therapy in adult patients with recurrent LG-IR-NMIBC. The Phase 3 ENVISION trial completed target enrollment with 240 patients across 56 sites. Study participants received six once-weekly intravesical instillations of ZUSDURI. The primary endpoint evaluated the CR rate three months after the first instillation, and the key secondary endpoint evaluates durability over time in patients who achieved a CR at the three-month assessment. Learn more about the Phase 3 ENVISION trial at www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05243550).

(Press release, UroGen Pharma, MAY 13, 2026, View Source [SID1234665641])

Tyra Biosciences Reports First Quarter 2026 Financial Results and Recent Highlights

On May 13, 2026 Tyra Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: TYRA), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing next-generation precision medicines that target large opportunities in Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor (FGFR) biology, reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026, and highlighted recent corporate progress.

"Our dabogratinib ‘3×3’ strategy continues to advance with steady progress across all three programs," said Todd Harris, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of TYRA. "We are taking a differentiated, data-driven approach by aligning our development strategy with the patient journey in FGFR3-driven diseases and conditions. The dosing of the first patient in SURF303 marks an important milestone, as we initiate a potentially registrational study in LG-UTUC that could support TYRA’s first NDA submission. With multiple clinical data readouts expected this year, we remain focused on unlocking the full potential of selective FGFR3 inhibition with oral dabogratinib."

Doug Warner, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of TYRA, commented, "In urologic cancers, we see a significant opportunity to address what we believe is a very challenging treatment paradigm for patients that is currently dominated by procedure-based, intravesical therapies. We are developing dabogratinib as a once-daily (QD) oral therapy designed to maintain continuous pressure on the tumor and, if successful, may represent a meaningful shift in how these patients are treated."

Dr. Warner continued, "In achondroplasia, we believe our approach with oral dabogratinib may also be transformational. Recently presented data demonstrate that prenatal dosing further delayed premature fusion of synchondroses and increased the area of the foramen magnum. These data expand our perspective on the potential benefits of earlier FGFR3 inhibition as we advance BEACH301. We have now cleared the fourth dose level in our safety sentinel cohort and remain on track to report initial results in the fourth quarter of this year."

First Quarter and Recent Corporate Highlights

Dabogratinib 3×3 Strategy

In the first quarter of 2026, TYRA advanced its "dabogratinib 3×3" strategy: developing the first orally available, FGFR3 selective inhibitor in 3 future potentially pivotal clinical studies to support regulatory submissions with the aim to commercialize in 3 potential blockbuster indications: LG-UTUC, IR NMIBC and ACH.

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Phase 2 LG-UTUC Study – SURF303. SURF303 is a Phase 2a/b, multicenter, open-label study designed with pivotal intent to evaluate the efficacy and safety of oral dabogratinib at two QD doses in participants with low grade upper tract urothelial carcinoma (LG-UTUC), a rare cancer where approximately 85% of tumors are driven by FGFR3. The Company has dosed the first patient in SURF303, with initial results expected in 2027.

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Phase 2 IR NMIBC Study – SURF302. SURF302 is a Phase 2, multicenter, open-label clinical study evaluating the efficacy and safety of oral dabogratinib at two QD doses in participants with FGFR3-altered low-grade intermediate risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (IR NMIBC). To date, there are more than 20 patients enrolled at US and international trial sites, and the Company expects to report initial three-month complete response data from both dose cohorts in August 2026.
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Phase 2 ACH Study – BEACH301. BEACH301 is a Phase 2, multicenter, open-label, dose-escalation/dose-expansion study evaluating oral dabogratinib in children ages 3 to 10 with achondroplasia (ACH). The study has enrolled the safety sentinel cohort and has successfully cleared four dose levels, with no notable safety events reported to date. The study remains on track, with initial results from the safety sentinel cohort, including 6-month average height velocity and safety data, expected in the fourth quarter of 2026.
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Presented Clinical Progress and New Preclinical Results at Key Scientific/Medical Meetings. During the first quarter of 2026 and in April, TYRA presented posters on dabogratinib for urologic cancers (SURF302 and SURF303 trials-in-progress) at the 2026 ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Genitourinary (GU) Cancers Symposium (ASCO GU), and the European Association of Urology Congress (EAU 26). TYRA will also present a trials-in-progress poster on SURF302 at the 2026 American Urologic Association (AUA) meeting. In May 2026, at the Fusion Conference on FGFR Biology, TYRA presented new preclinical results with oral dabogratinib for the treatment of ACH. When administered to pregnant mice from embryonic day 14.5 through birth then to Fgfr3Y367C/+ neonates postnatally, dabogratinib significantly increased the foramen magnum area and resulted in open synchondroses. Prenatal plus postnatal treatment further delayed premature fusion of the synchondroses compared with the postnatal alone treatment protocol (Starrett et al., 2025). Posters associated with these meetings can be accessed on the TYRA website.

Corporate

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Appointed Habib Dable to Board of Directors. In April 2026, TYRA announced the appointment of Habib Dable to its Board of Directors. Mr. Dable brings more than 30 years of leadership experience across the global biopharmaceutical industry, including deep expertise in building and scaling blockbuster franchises and guiding companies through transformative growth. Mr. Dable most recently served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Acceleron Pharma Inc., where he led the company through a period of significant growth culminating in its acquisition by Merck in 2021. Prior to Acceleron, Mr. Dable spent 22 years at Bayer AG in positions of increasing responsibility, including President of U.S. Pharmaceuticals and Executive Vice President, Global Head of Specialty Medicine. During his tenure, he provided leadership across multiple therapeutic areas, including ophthalmology, neurology, hematology, and cardiology, and oversaw the global launch of EYLEA. Mr. Dable currently serves as an advisor at RA Capital Management, L.P.
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Strengthened Balance Sheet with ATM Utilization. In the first quarter of 2026, TYRA received $147.9M in net proceeds, after deducting fees and other expenses, following utilization of the Company’s "at-the-market" offering program, issuing and selling 4,690,532 shares of common stock to a large investment management firm.

SNÅP Platform and Pipeline

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TYRA continued to advance its in-house precision medicine discovery engine, SNÅP, used to develop therapies in targeted oncology and genetically defined conditions.

First Quarter Financial Results

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Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments. As of March 31, 2026, TYRA had cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $383.5 million. The Company’s current cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities are expected to allow TYRA to execute on its plans into the second half of 2028.
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Research and Development (R&D) Expenses. R&D expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2026 were $33.5 million compared to $25.0 million for the same period in 2025. The increase was primarily associated with development activities for oral dabogratinib, reflecting ongoing BEACH301 and SURF302 clinical trials and start-up costs for SURF303, partially offset by a decrease in development activities for other programs. Personnel expenses also increased, driven by headcount growth to support expanding clinical and development activities.

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General and Administrative (G&A) Expenses. G&A expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2026 were $8.5 million compared to $6.9 million for the same period in 2025. The increase was primarily driven by higher compensation and other personnel costs, driven by headcount growth.
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Net Loss. First quarter net loss was $39.3 million compared to $28.1 million for the same period in 2025.

Upcoming Anticipated Clinical Milestones:

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SURF303: initial results – 2027
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SURF302: initial three-month complete response data – August 2026
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BEACH301: initial results from safety sentinel cohort – Q4 2026

About Dabogratinib (formerly TYRA-300)

Dabogratinib is TYRA’s lead precision medicine candidate stemming from its in-house SNÅP platform. Dabogratinib is an investigational, oral, FGFR3-selective inhibitor currently in Phase 2 development for the treatment of urologic cancers and skeletal dysplasias, specifically LG-UTUC, IR NMIBC and ACH. We believe dabogratinib was the first orally available, FGFR3 selective inhibitor to enter clinical development, and it has been studied in more than 100 patients to date across multiple clinical studies.

Oral dabogratinib is currently advancing in three Phase 2 clinical trials for LG-UTUC (SURF303), IR NMIBC (SURF302), and ACH (BEACH301). The FDA has granted Orphan Drug Designation and Rare Pediatric Disease Designation to oral dabogratinib for the treatment of achondroplasia.

Please visit the Patients page of our website for more information on our clinical trials.

(Press release, Tyra Biosciences, MAY 13, 2026, View Source [SID1234665640])

Protara Therapeutics Announces First Quarter 2026 Financial Results and Provides a Business Update

On May 13, 2026 Protara Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: TARA), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing transformative therapies for the treatment of cancer and rare diseases, reported a business update and announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026.

"We’re pleased with the productive discussions we’ve had with the FDA around TARA-002 in LMs," said Jesse Shefferman, Chief Executive Officer of Protara Therapeutics. "We intend to submit a BLA for TARA-002 in LMs based on the results of the pivotal STARBORN-1 trial in the second half of 2027. Later this month, we look forward to presenting updated safety and durability data from the STARBORN-1 trial at the ISSVA World Congress and hosting an investor webinar with KOL perspectives."

Mr. Shefferman added, "In NMIBC, we continue to establish TARA-002’s potential as a differentiated treatment through a robust clinical data set demonstrating excellent safety, promising efficacy and encouraging durability, as well as a convenient and tolerable method of administration, in both Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-Unresponsive and BCG-Naive patients. Looking ahead, we remain focused on completing enrollment in the BCG-Unresponsive registrational cohort in the ADVANCED-2 trial and initiating the ADVANCED-3 registrational trial in BCG-Naïve patients, both in the second half of the year. Additionally, our THRIVE-3 program for IV Choline Chloride remains on track, and we expect to announce interim results in the second half of 2026."

Recent Progress and Highlights

TARA-002 in LMs

Under Breakthrough Therapy designation, Protara is engaged in an ongoing dialogue with the FDA and has received confirmation that the review of TARA-002 has been moved from the Office of Vaccines Research and Review to the Office of Therapeutic Products, which has significant experience in pediatric rare disease and is the review division for TARA-002 in NMIBC.
Based on engagement with the FDA, the Company intends to submit a BLA for TARA-002 in LMs based on the results of the pivotal STARBORN-1 trial in the second half of 2027 and will continue to submit safety and efficacy data from the trial on an ongoing basis to support the FDA’s evaluation of the risks and benefits of TARA-002 in LMs.
Protara plans to host a virtual investor webinar discussing TARA-002 in LMs at 4:30 pm ET on May 19, 2026. The event will provide an overview of TARA-002 in LMs, KOL perspectives on the unmet need and TARA-002’s potential role in the treatment paradigm. The live event and accompanying slides can be accessed visiting the Events and Presentations section of the Company’s website View Source A replay of the webcast will be archived for a limited time following the event.
The Company will present updated interim safety and durability data from the ongoing Phase 2 STARBORN-1 trial evaluating TARA-002 in macrocystic and mixed cystic LMs in a poster session at the ISSVA World Congress on May 20, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
TARA-002 in NMIBC

The Company expects to complete enrollment of the BCG-Unresponsive cohort of the ADVANCED-2 trial in the second half of 2026.
The Company will present updated 12-month landmark results for TARA-002 in BCG-Naïve NMIBC patients in Cohort A of the ADVANCED-2 trial during a poster presentation at the AUA Annual Meeting on May 15, 2026 in Washington, D.C.
The Company is planning a proposed registrational trial in BCG-Naïve and potentially BCG-Exposed patients. Protara continues to engage with the FDA on aspects of the analysis plan and intends to initiate the ADVANCED-3 trial in the second half of 2026.
IV Choline Chloride for Patients on Parenteral Support (PS)

THRIVE-3, the Company’s registrational Phase 3 clinical trial, is ongoing, and the Company expects to report interim results in the second half of 2026.
First Quarter 2026 Financial Results

As of March 31, 2026, unrestricted cash and cash equivalents and marketable debt securities totaled $177.4 million. The Company expects its cash and cash equivalents and marketable debt securities will be sufficient to fund its planned operations and milestones into 2028.
Research and development expenses for the first quarter of 2026 increased to $13.6 million from $9.1 million for the prior year period. This increase was primarily due to a $2.2 million increase in direct expenses for our product candidates and a $2.2 million increase in indirect expenses not directly attributable to one specific product candidate. The increase in direct expenses was primarily due to higher ongoing costs associated with the ADVANCED-2 trial for NMIBC as well as start-up costs related to the ADVANCED-3 trial for NMIBC.
General and administrative expenses for the first quarter of 2026 increased to $6.1 million from $5.0 million for the prior year period. The increase was primarily due to personnel-related expenses, including stock-based compensation.
For the first quarter of 2026, Protara incurred a net loss of $17.8 million, or $0.31 per share, compared with a net loss of $11.9 million, or $0.29 per share, for the same period in 2025. Net loss for the first quarter of 2026 included approximately $1.4 million in stock-based compensation expenses.
About TARA-002

TARA-002 is an investigational cell therapy in development for the treatment of NMIBC and of LMs, for which it has been granted Rare Pediatric Disease, Orphan Drug, Breakthrough Therapy and Fast Track designations by the FDA. TARA-002 is a first-in-class TLR2/NOD2 agonist and novel immunopotentiator derived from inactivated Streptococcus pyogenes with a mechanism of action that includes the activation of innate and adaptive immune pathways. When TARA-002 is administered, it is hypothesized that innate and adaptive immune cells within the cyst or tumor are activated and produce a pro-inflammatory response with the release of cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, interferon (IFN)-gamma, IL-6, IL-10 and IL-12. TARA-002 also directly kills tumor cells and triggers a host immune response by inducing immunogenic cell death, which further enhances the antitumor immune response.

TARA-002 was developed from the same master cell bank of genetically distinct group A Streptococcus pyogenes as OK-432, a broad immunopotentiator marketed as Picibanil in Japan by Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

About Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer

Bladder cancer is the sixth most common cancer in the United States, with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) representing approximately 80% of bladder cancer diagnoses, or approximately 65,000 patients in the U.S. each year. NMIBC is cancer found in the tissue that lines the inner surface of the bladder that has not spread into the bladder muscle.

About Lymphatic Malformations

Lymphatic Malformations (LMs) are rare, congenital malformations of lymphatic vessels resulting in the failure of these structures to connect or drain into the venous system. Protara’s focus is on macrocystic and mixed cystic LMs, for which there are no currently approved therapies. They are most frequently present in the head and neck region and are diagnosed in early childhood during the period of active lymphatic growth, with more than 50% detected at birth and 90% diagnosed before the age of three years. The most common morbidities and serious manifestations of the disease include compression of the upper aerodigestive tract, including airway obstruction requiring intubation and possible tracheostomy dependence; intralesional bleeding; impingement on critical structures, including nerves, vessels and lymphatics; recurrent infection; and cosmetic and other functional disabilities. TARA-002 has been granted Rare Pediatric Disease, Orphan Drug, Breakthrough Therapy and Fast Track designations by the FDA for the treatment of LMs.

About IV Choline Chloride for Patients on Parenteral Support

IV Choline Chloride is an investigational, intravenous phospholipid substrate replacement therapy in development for patients receiving parenteral support (PS). Choline is a known important substrate for phospholipids that are critical for healthy liver function and play an important role in modulating gene expression, cell membrane signaling, brain development and neurotransmission, muscle function and bone health. PS patients are unable to synthesize choline from enteral nutrition sources, and there are currently no available PS formulations containing choline. Approximately 78% of patients dependent on PS are choline-deficient and of those approximately 63% have some degree of liver dysfunction, which can lead to hepatic failure. Every year in the U.S. there are approximately 90,000 people who require PS at home and of those approximately 30,000 are on long-term PS. IV Choline Chloride has the potential to become the first FDA approved IV choline formulation for PS patients. It has been granted Orphan Drug designation by the FDA for the prevention and/or treatment of choline deficiency in patients on long-term parenteral nutrition and has been granted Fast Track designation as a source of choline when oral or enteral nutrition is not possible, insufficient or contraindicated. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued Protara a U.S. patent claiming a choline composition and a U.S. patent claiming a method of treating choline deficiency with a choline composition, each with a term expiring in 2041.

(Press release, Protara Therapeutics, MAY 13, 2026, View Source [SID1234665639])