ABSI

Image source: The Motley Fool. Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026 at 4:30 p.m. ET Corporate Vice President and Investor Relations-Alexander Khan Founder and Chief Executive Officer-Sean McClain Chief Financial Officer and Chief Business Officer-Zachariah Jonasson Chief Medical Officer, Head of R&D-Ransi Somaratne Need a quote from a Motley Fool analyst? Email [email protected] Operator: Good day, and thank you for standing by. Welcome to the Absci second quarter business update. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode. After the speakers' presentation, there will be a question and answer session. To ask a question during the session, you will need to press star 11 on your telephone. You will then hear an automated message advising your hand is raised. To withdraw your question, please press star 11 again. Please be advised that today's conference is being recorded. I would now like to hand the conference over to your first speaker today, Alexander Khan, Corporate Vice President and Investor Relations Please go ahead. Alexander Khan: Thank you. Earlier today, Absci released financial and operating results for the quarter ended 06/30/2026. If you have not received this news release or if you would like to be added to the company's distribution list, please send an email to [email protected]. An archived webcast of this call will be available for replay on Abzai's Investor Relations website at investors.absci.com for at least 90 days after this call. Joining me today are Sean McClain, Absci's founder and CEO Zachariah Jonasson, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Business Officer and Ransi Somaratne, chief medical officer, head of R&D. Before we begin, I would like to remind you that management will make statements during this call that are forward looking within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These statements involve material risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to materially differ from those anticipated. You should not place undue reliance on forward looking statements. These include statements regarding the development and clinical progress of our pipeline programs including ABS-201, the design, enrollment conduct, and timelines of our ongoing Phase IIa headline trial of ABS-201. The anticipated timing of an interim proof of concept data readout for ABS-201 in the second 26 and full proof of concept data in early 27 the potential events in a BABS-201 into Phase III development, the anticipated initiation of a Phase II clinical trial of ABS-201 for endometriosis fourth quarter 26 and potential proof of concept readout in second half of 27 Anticipated characteristics and product profile of ABS-201 as the drug product. Our target product profile attributes, the potential for an expedited development pathway, including the possibility of advancing directly from Phase IIa to Phase III. A plan to engage with the FDA regarding development strategy Our partnership with Eli Lilly including anticipated benefits thereof in Eli Lilly's participation on our endometriosis advisory board The capabilities anticipated benefits of our platform technology such as Atlas, and potential market opportunity and commercial prospects for ABS-201. Certain statements may also include projections regarding potential market opportunity. These estimates are based on various assumptions, including potential regulatory approval, final approved label, and the evolving competitive landscape, any of which could cause our actual addressable market to differ materially from these projections. In addition, certain research findings discussed today reflect participant responses to a hypothetical product profile and do not represent clinical results of ABS-201. Additional information regarding the risks and uncertainties that could affect our forward looking statements is set forth in the press release Absci issued today. Our most recent annual report on Form 10-K, subsequent documents and reports filed by Absci from time to time with the SEC. Except as required by law, Absci disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any financial or product pipeline projections or other forward looking statements either because of new information, future events or otherwise. This conference call contains time sensitive information that is accurate only as of the live broadcast August 11, 2026. With that, I will turn the call over to Sean. Sean McClain: Thanks, Alex. Good afternoon, everyone. Thanks for joining us today. Absci continues to execute. I will walk you through recent highlights. Including key progress on ongoing headline trial, our new partnership with Eli Lilly, and our $100 million financing completed at the end of June. Starting with headline. In June, we released positive interim Phase I data. The data suggests the study drug was well tolerated with favorable safety and tolerability. And based on interim PK data, ABS-201's half life supports the potential for just 2 to 3 injections over 6 months. This is exactly why we built our AI platform. To design molecules that meet our target product profile that we set out from day 1. You have heard us say the prolactin mechanism is underappreciated. Everything we have learned has only strengthened that conviction, and we believe targeting the prolactin receptor has the potential across numerous diseases. And we are also excited to have a partner who shares in that vision. As you saw in June, we announced that Eli Lilly made a $40 million strategic investment in Absci. Our partnership with Eli Lilly is tailored around the clinical development strategy for ABS-201. And as a part of this collaboration, we are happy to be welcoming a representative from Lilly onto our endometriosis advisory board. Zachariah will provide more details of this partnership later in the call. In addition to Lily, we have seen elevated interest from the investment community in prolactin biology. In June, we completed a $100 million financing including the $40 million investment from Lilly, from a group of blue chip investors. We are grateful for their support which enables the continued development of our existing programs as well as future expansion of our pipeline. ABS-201's progress is a testament to the platform and the team that created it. Building on that leadership in de novo antibody design with Origin we have now extended the platform upstream with Atlas Absci's target to lead autonomous scientists. Atlas is an agentic discovery engine built to remove the bottleneck ahead of design rapidly identifying and validating the right targets. Atlas integrates literature, genetics, and single cell sequencing data to surface and triage novel target hypothesis These flow directly into origin for epitope specific de novo design and then into our in house wet lab characterization and pathway validation. This process closes a hypothesis to molecule loop and turns discovery into a high throughput fail fast engine by having more shots on goal and better ones. We are already seeing this at work. Atlas has surfaced potential new indications for our prolactin receptor franchise, and independently recovered genetic evidence linking this pathway to pattern hair loss and endometriosis. This is a powerful new tool that every drug hunter at Absci can now leverage. We will continue deploying this AI native platform to create therapeutics like ABS-201 with the potential to change the treatment paradigm for patients. With that, I will turn it over to Ransi to walk through the ABS-201 clinical program. Ransi Somaratne FACC: Thanks, Sean, and good afternoon, everyone. In June, we released positive interim Phase I data from the ongoing headline trial of ABS-201. We continue to be encouraged by the emerging safety pharmacokinetic and immunogenicity profile observed to date. As we said in June, blinded aggregate interim data suggests study drug was well tolerated and exhibited a favorable safety and tolerability profile. Additionally, based on available interim pharmacokinetic data across all 4 single ascending dose cohorts, half life for ABS-201, is estimated to be at least 65 days. These results support the potential for dosing 2 or 3 times over a 6 month period pending confirmation through continued follow-up across all cohorts. Additionally, new modeling continues to suggest that 2 to 3 doses of ABS-201 over 6 months would be able to achieve greater than 90% receptor occupancy. Which we believe is a key driver of meaningful clinical efficacy for hair growth. These new data are available in the updated corporate deck published on our website today. We are very eager to share our clinical data with you once it is unblinded. We are pleased to share that the multiple ascending dose portion of the study continues to enroll according to plan. We continue to anticipate an interim proof of concept readout in the form of 13 week data later this year. Then, we anticipate our full proof of concept data in the form of 26 week data in early 27. As a reminder, the headline trial is a randomized double blind placebo controlled study. The primary endpoints are safety and tolerability, while secondary endpoints include PK, PD, immunogenicity, target area hair count, target area hair width, and target area darkening pigmentation. We will also collect patient reported outcomes data in this study. The prolactin receptor mechanism for hair growth is unique. Unlike minoxidil, finasteride, or nutraceuticals, the mechanism underlying ABS-201 is regenerative for the hair follicle. Protecting and promoting hair follicle stem cells, restoring CD34 progenitor cells, and stimulating key growth factors, IGF-1, and FGF-7 while decreasing the catechin driving TGF-beta 2. This regenerative mechanism is unique to the antiprolactant receptor pathway, and supports the significant durable effects with potential to grow new hair and dormant follicles. Our clinical study is designed to showcase this unique mechanism with our 13-week assessment, which is interim in nature. Intended to provide a directionally positive signal, i.e., has the mechanism begun to take hold? And is it building all the machinery and building blocks we see responsible for regenerating the hairs? A directionally positive signal of hair growth at 13 weeks would give us even further confidence in seeing more robust hair growth at 26 weeks and beyond, as is supported by preclinical data in the stump tailed macaque. Altogether, the preclinical stump tailed macaque data as well as our human ex vivo data from skin biopsies of both male and female donors provide robust support for this mechanism and its ability to provide durable hair growth. We are also excited to be progressing our ABS-201 program for endometriosis. As Sean mentioned earlier, we are pleased to be welcoming Axel Haupt, MD, senior vice president clinical investigation at Eli Lilly and Company onto our Endometriosis Advisory Board. And with the safety, tolerability, and PK data generated in the SAD portion of the HEADLINE trial, we anticipate initiating a Phase II study in endometriosis in the fourth quarter of this year. With that, I will pass it over to Zachariah to discuss our business strategy and to provide an update on our financials. Zachariah Jonasson: Thanks, Ransi. We continue to focus our strategy on creating and advancing high value pipeline programs like ABS-201, Our primary objective today is the successful execution of our clinical trial for ABS-201 in male and female pattern hair loss and in endometriosis. We are also advancing a preclinical pipeline focused on immunological and inflammatory indications that fit into our broader strategy including programs that can ultimately be commercialized direct to consumer. The clinical trial for ABS-201 continues to progress according to plan. We believe this program offers an outsized ROI based on its relatively capital efficient clinical development plan and significant market opportunity. Based on our market research, we estimate a potential total available market greater than $25 billion in The U.S. Alone. In addition, to pattern hair loss, we also see a significant multibillion dollar market for endometriosis. With potential peak sales of over $4 billion These programs are emblematic of how we prioritize and allocate our resources to programs that offer high ROIs based on addressing large underserved patient populations. We are leveraging our leadership in prolactin biology, by advancing ABS-201 toward proof of concept in both pattern hair loss and endometriosis. And by progressing our preclinical anti prolactin receptor program ABS-202, in an undisclosed I&I indication. We are also actively exploring other potential underserved indications for which prolactin receptor inhibition could offer a differentiated therapeutic mechanism. We look forward to sharing our interim proof of concept data in pattern hair loss later this year. And our full proof of concept data early next year. As a reminder, our consumer research survey as well as input from leading KOLs inform our view that a 26 week increase in target area hair count of 30 to 35 hairs per centimeter squared roughly on par with high dose oral minoxidil. Would enable a home run product Our consumer and KOL research support an estimated $25 billion TAM associated with such a hair growth effect size. Given ABS-201's expected unique durability and administration convenience. We believe a target area hair count result above that level would expand the market further and that a less robust result would still unlock a multibillion dollar market opportunity. AVS-201, with its novel prolactin receptor mechanism is positioned to become a new premium category of pattern hair loss therapy. Offering consumers convenient, durable, regenerative hair growth. Continuing to execute the development of this program remains our top strategic priority. Our platform continues to evolve and deliver new capabilities and efficiency gains. As you will recall, our first programs were advanced to IND enabling studies in under 2.5 years, and under $15 million in total cost. Based on our current origin model improvements, in combination with our agentic Atlas platform, we believe we can significantly improve on these metrics. For example, our latest origin models allow for a 1 thousandx reduction in library size for identification of high quality leads. We are also finding ways to reduce IND enabling study timelines based on the quality of our AI designed drug candidates. Which, for example, are well suited to high concentration formulation development. We anticipate additional efficiency and capability improvements as we further advance our platform. We are grateful for our partners new and existing, for their support. As discussed,, we are excited to be collaborating with Eli Lilly and to welcome a member of their leadership team onto our Endometriosis Advisory Board. Our partnership with Eli Lilly is tailored around the clinical development strategy for ABS-201 and does not confer rights to the program, which we plan to develop ourselves. We appreciate Eli Lilly's support as well as their interest in prolactin biology within pattern hair loss, women's health, and beyond. Turning now to our financials. Research and development expenses were $22.6 million for the 3 months ending 06/30/2026. As compared to $20.5 million for the prior year period. This increase was primarily driven by advancement of Absci's internal programs including direct costs associated with external preclinical and clinical development of ABS-201 offset by a decrease in personnel related costs. Selling, general and administrative expenses were $9.2 million for the 3 months ending 06/30/2026, as compared to $8.5 million for the prior year period. This increase was primarily due to stock based compensation and other administrative costs. Cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities as of 06/30/2026, were $201.1 million as compared to $125.7 million as of 03/31/2026. In June, we completed an underwritten offering of common stock The net proceeds from the offering were approximately $93.6 million Our current balance sheet including this additional capital, supports our execution of key upcoming catalysts and continued progress of our early stage pipeline, as well as an expansion of our planned endometriosis clinical trial. As we finalize our clinical trial design, we anticipate sharing additional details of the endometriosis clinical development plan later in the third quarter. Based on our current projections, we now believe our cash equivalents and marketable securities will be sufficient to fund our operating plan into the second half of 28. With that, I will now turn it back to Sean. Sean McClain: Thanks, Zachariah. As always, I wanna thank the Absci team for making all this possible. I would also like to thank Eli Lilly, for their partnership and all of our investors both new and existing, for their support. We are fast approaching pivotal moments for Absci. Our first look at interim POC data for pattern hair loss is anticipated later this year Our full 26 week POC data should follow early next year. Where we anticipate showing robust hair regrowth from our regenerative prolactin mechanism. I am incredibly excited for both of these readouts. We are energized for what we are building our early stage pipeline. We see a huge opportunity to capitalize on the interest in Total Vitality combined with consumer shift toward more direct to consumer and cash pay products. Our current and future pipeline focuses squarely on these emerging trends. We continue to fire on all cylinders, and I cannot wait for everyone to see the results of our hard work in the coming months. Operator, let's open the call for questions. Operator: Thank you. To withdraw your question, please press 11 again. In the interest of time, we do ask that you please limit your questions to 1 and 1 follow-up. Please standby while we compile the Q&A roster. And our first question comes from Brian Chang of JPMorgan. Your line is open. Brian Cheng: Hey, guys. Thanks for taking our question this afternoon. Maybe just to start off, we noticed that your indication on your press release is now defined as pattern hair loss. And I think in the prior communication, you have been indicating that the lead indication has androgenetic alopecia. So is there any read-through in terms of how your defining the target indication today? Is there any change in terms of the lead indication for 201? And then we have a quick follow-up. Thank you. Sean McClain: Yeah. Thanks, Brian. it is a great question. So we decided to change the name for 2 reasons. First is, if you think of androgenic alopecia, it implies the androgen receptor, and we know that targeting the androgen receptor such as, you know, finasteride or other androgen receptor antagonists do not fully regrow hair. And we do have evidence that does support that prolactin looks to sit upstream of the androgen receptor and actually drive androgen receptor expression And so based on the underlying biology and the importance of prolactin, within pattern hair loss, we decided to switch the name from androgenetic alopecia to pattern hair loss Additionally, we had gotten feedback from other KOLs that they thought that this was a more appropriate name. And the last piece is on the consumer front. I think that pattern hair loss is much better understood among consumers than androgenetic alopecia and so for all of these reasons, you know, we have changed the name, but not the indication itself. And Ransi and Zachariah, please chime in if there is anything else I missed there. Yeah. Ransi Somaratne FACC: Thanks, Sean. So, yeah, I mean-- All right. Go ahead, Zachariah. No. No. Go ahead, Ransi. I think the term pattern hair loss also encompasses the entire population. Like, we are still studying the same population or indications encompass the same population. But really, you think about the disease state in The U. S, there is 80 million people and 30 million of those are women. So, we think the term pattern hair loss is more appropriate. To describe who it is that we are targeting. Thank you, Ransi. Zachariah Jonasson: I was just going to add too that the change in name does not have any impact on how we have assessed the market opportunity. it is still fundamentally the same market opportunity, number of patients, and our consumer surveys were focused on identifying that. So this does not have any effect on those estimates. Brian Cheng: Thank you. that is very helpful. And as a follow-up, I think, you know, in our prior discussions, we all have a pretty good sense of what we want to see in terms of nonvillous hair count. At week 13 and week 26 from your MAD portion. And just looking at other metrics, I think you have mentioned that the terminal-to-vellus ratio metric is also super important in terms of, you know, giving you a directional insight of whether ABS-201 is giving you some benefits toward the goalpost. Can you help us think about what is the magnitude that you want to see in terms of the T-to-V ratio And then also curious if you have a sense of what some of the current standard of care can offer in terms of the ratio changes at around week 13. Thanks for your help. Ransi Somaratne FACC: Yeah. Ransi, do you want to take that 1? Yeah. So an interesting question. I think we are, at least for the interim, we are interested in a broad set of data. I am particularly not focused on a specific v to t ratio. And I honestly Brian, I am not sure I have seen specific V-to-T ratios from other programs. So cannot really answer that 1 for you. Sean McClain: Yeah. And I think, like, how we are thinking about the 13-week is really looking at not only the terminal, but also V-to-T. Also the potential to regrow hair in dormant follicles, whether that comes up as a, you know, terminal hair, a vellus hair, or you have more of a V-to-T transition. I think the key point with this readout is being able to show potentially new mechanisms that other drugs do not show, and I think regrowing that dormant follicle where you have been bald for many years we start to see changes there, again, whether it is on the vellus hair or the terminal hair, we think that is really exciting and could be a big game changer for this particular mechanism. In addition to the regenerative aspect. Zachariah Jonasson: And Brian, that is why that is why we have talked about total hair count in the past, and that encompasses what Sean was just talking about. Thanks, guys. Operator: Thank you. And our next question comes from Brendan Smith of TD Cowen. Your line is open. Brendan Smith: Great. Thanks for taking the questions, guys. Wanted to just first clarify quickly on 201. Is it maybe fair for us to assume you will get the interim data in hand and put it out before initiating the Endometriosis study and then full POC hair loss data in Q1 thereafter. Is that kind of just a fair assumption on the order of events coming up there? And then to follow-up on the platform itself, sounds like plan outside of prolactin receptors is still largely developed targets out licensed prior to entering the clinic on your own. So that is the case, I guess, just wondering on a strategy level how we should think about potential cadence of new assets coming out of the platform. Do you kind of have a target, you know, partner deal cadence in mind, just any color there on output that we should keep in mind over the next I do not know, 12 to 18 months. Thanks, guys. Sean McClain: Yeah. Thanks, Brendan. So to your first point, I think that is a fair assumption. On the second point, we are planning on taking ABS-201 to market ourselves and everything that we have coming behind ABS-201. We are looking at it from the lens of what could we commercialize ourselves, what could potentially be an OTC that you could sell alongside ABS-201 And then make the determination, do we have the capital? Is the cost capital right to continue to develop this ourselves? Or do we want to find a partner given the indication or the cash situation. But everything we are developing would be with that commercialization in mind. And then we have the optionality to partner. That is the current view we have. And Zach, Lisa, chime in as well. Zachariah Jonasson: Yeah. I think you said it well, Sean. I think the only other point I would make is Sean described some of the advances in our platform. We are becoming more and more efficient at generating new molecules and new programs. And so I think we will be creating a lot of optionality for ourselves. But to Sean's point, we are very rigorous about providing, like, a strategic and ROI based perspective on which programs we will advance with our own balance sheet. Versus the ones we will partner. Operator: Thank you. And our next question comes from Vamil Divan of Guggenheim. Your line is open. Vimal Divan: Great. Thanks for taking my question. Maybe 1 just quick follow-up on the conversation around the partnerships. Like, I think last year, you guys had talked about likely signing a partnership by the end of the year. I do not know if that is happened or not. So I am curious, like, would all your partnerships be disclosed? or have you signed any sort since later last year? That maybe just were not disclosed publicly? So maybe any sort of update on that side would be helpful. And then the other question I have is just around this 13-week data, which obviously everyone's eagerly waiting for. And then just to maybe sort of level set expectations, if you can sort of share what you plan to disclose in the top line release so we all kind of know what to expect there? And so tied to that, you know, 1 of the big potential selling points of 201 would be the durability of the hair that is regrown. I know we are not going to know that at 13 weeks, obviously. So I am just trying to get a sense of how you think about sort of how long the duration of follow-up would need to be before you start getting comfort that this dosing regimen and that your target profile is the right dosing regimen for the Durabil response. Thanks. Sean McClain: Yeah. Thanks, Vamil. So in terms of partnership, yeah, the partnership that we had inked with Eli Lilly, both the investment and, you know, the collaboration on ABS-201 on clinical development We do see that as achieving that large pharma partnership. And with regards to the top line readout for the 13 and 26 week, I will hand that over to Ransi. Ransi Somaratne FACC: Hey, Vamil. Thanks for the question. Yeah. So we plan to show the data that we think will give us that interim look, just sort of a status on what the drug is doing. So we have talked about total area hair count. So that will be their target area hair count, which is the terminal hairs. We will get a look at target area hair width. To see how wide the hair caliber is. And we will be looking at darkness as well. So I think those are the big things. And in addition, we will have a look at the updated safety and tolerability data as well. Great question on the durability. We are actively working on trying to figure out how we can get that from this study. it is not going to be answered in the 13 or the 26 weeks. We do have a safety follow-up period after this trial. And that is probably the first indication of durability of effect, and we will get the same duration of safety follow-up on the cohorts. it is based on PK. And we are looking at what to do thereafter in terms of describing the durability of effect. So more to come on that. Thank you. Operator: You. And our next question comes from Arseniy Shabashvili of BTIG. Your line is open. Analyst: Hi, team. Thank you so much for the question. So it appears from your modeling that you confirm maybe ABS-201 can maintain greater than 90% prolactin receptor occupancy without cycling. How should the greater, more sustained receptor occupancy impact efficacy compared to other prolactin receptor antibodies in pattern hair loss and then secondarily, as in endometriosis. Thanks so much. Sean McClain: Yeah, it is a great question. And we actually just set out some modeling on the website today with the updated corporate deck and I think it is a very clear illustration. If you look at HMI-115, the once-every-2-week, dosing at 240 milligrams You saw this oscillation that occurred, you know, between 60-70% receptor, occupancy. And we know that the receptor occupancy for the prolactin receptor needs to be you know, well above, you know, 90% to achieve you know, the signal blocking that is necessary even a little bit of receptor left can cause, you know, quite a bit of signaling through the prolactin receptor. And essentially, the HMI-115 molecule without oscillation and not achieving the receptor occupancy our belief is that they essentially were not able to achieve the efficacy because they were not able to get that prolonged anagen phase. And so that is what we believe that we are going to be able to achieve now. If you look at again, the receptor occupancy, those, you know, 2 to 3 doses, were well above 90%. And we can ensure that the follicle can stay in the prolonged anagen state. In order to rebuild that stem cell niche. So our growth does not happen overnight. You need that sustained period of blockade in order to get the regrowth And I think the really exciting part is, like, look, if you look at the stump tail macaques, when you got the greater than 90% receptor occupancy, mean, you saw a really, really robust efficacy there, and, you know, we are obviously targeting 30, but I do believe that if you get the mechanism if you hit the receptor appropriate here appropriately to stay in the anagen state, think you have the potential for even further upside than what we have been discussing. And so I think it is a really exciting opportunity with the PK profile that we have been able to achieve. And then a quick follow-up. How do you expect that to impact endometriosis? Ransi Somaratne FACC: do you want to take that 1? Yeah, happy to. I think it is the same philosophy, Arseniy. it is you look at the other prolactin receptor antibody, you know, they publish their data in The Lancet, and you saw that there was an effect on dysmenorrhea at the highest dose. And I and we think the same principle applies. In that you have to really achieve that high level of receptor occupancy to efficacy there. So even though it is a disease state that is quite different from pattern hair loss, we think the same principle is in play. Thank you so much. Operator: Thank you. Star 1. And our next question comes from Gil Blum of Needham. Your line is open. Gil Blum: Good afternoon. Thanks for squeezing me in. So we saw some interesting data for the oral minoxidil extended release from Veradermics in women. Do you think the data that they put up changes maybe where that bar is as it relates to hair regrowth, or does it not really matter as it relates to your own programs? Thank you. Sean McClain: I mean, the data that they put out, I mean, clearly shows that standard of care is really poor even with what they have. There is so much more room to improve from a standard of care perspective. And that is something we are very excited about. We, you know, recently showed the female ex vivo data. It looked very similar to what we saw in the males. And we are very excited to get this cohort ticked off. In the study in female patients. And I think that there is a real exciting opportunity just due to the really, really poor standard of care out there. Thank you. Operator: This concludes the question and answer session and also today's conference call. Thank you for participating and you may now disconnect. Before you buy stock in Absci, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Absci wasn’t one of them. 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Our analysts just identified a stock with the potential to be the next Nvidia. Tell us how you invest and we'll show you why it's our #1 pick. Tap here. Management attributes the successful design of ABS-201 to its AI platform, specifically achieving a target product profile that supports a 65-day half-life and potential for just 2 to 3 injections over six months. The company rebranded its lead indication from androgenetic alopecia to 'pattern hair loss' to better reflect the underlying biology where prolactin sits upstream of the androgen receptor and to improve consumer resonance. Strategic positioning is bolstered by a $40 million investment from Eli Lilly, which management views as validation of the prolactin receptor mechanism across multiple disease states. Operational efficiency is being driven by the new 'Atlas' agentic discovery engine, which has already independently recovered genetic evidence linking the prolactin pathway to hair loss and endometriosis. Management emphasizes a 'fail fast' high-throughput discovery engine, noting that recent origin model improvements allow for a 1,000x reduction in library size for identifying high-quality leads. The regenerative mechanism of ABS-201 is highlighted as a key differentiator from standard of care, as it aims to restore hair follicle stem cells rather than just antagonizing receptors. Interim proof-of-concept data for the HEADLINE trial (13-week readout) is anticipated in late 2026, followed by full 26-week data in early 2027. Management plans to initiate a Phase II study for ABS-201 in endometriosis in Q4 2026, leveraging safety and PK data from the ongoing SAD portion of the HEADLINE trial. Financial guidance indicates that the current cash balance of $201.1 million is sufficient to fund the operating plan into the second half of 2028. The company intends to commercialize ABS-201 and follow-on programs independently, focusing on high-ROI opportunities in the direct-to-consumer and cash-pay markets. Future clinical success is predicated on achieving greater than 90% receptor occupancy, which modeling suggests is possible with the current dosing regimen to maintain a prolonged anagen phase. Completed a $100 million financing in June 2026, including the strategic investment from Eli Lilly, to support pipeline expansion and clinical catalysts. R&D expenses increased to $22.6 million, driven by the advancement of internal programs and direct costs for ABS-201 clinical development. The partnership with Eli Lilly includes the addition of Lilly's SVP of Clinical Investigation to Absci's Endometriosis Advisory Board but does not confer program rights to Lilly. Management identified a $25 billion total available market in the U.S. for pattern hair loss, assuming a hair growth effect size roughly on par with high-dose oral minoxidil. One stock. Nvidia-level potential. 30M+ investors trust Moby to find it first. Get the pick. Tap here. Management explained the change reflects biology where prolactin drives androgen receptor expression, making it a more accurate descriptor than 'androgenetic'. The new name is intended to be more inclusive of the 30 million women in the U.S. suffering from the condition and is better understood by consumers. The 13-week readout is intended to provide a 'directionally positive signal' that the regenerative mechanism has begun to build the necessary machinery for hair growth. While 26-week data will show robust regrowth, the 13-week data will look at hair count, width, and pigmentation to confirm the mechanism is active. Management claims ABS-201 avoids the 'oscillation' seen in competitors by maintaining sustained receptor occupancy above 90%. This sustained blockade is viewed as critical for keeping the hair follicle in the anagen state long enough to rebuild the stem cell niche. Absci plans to take ABS-201 to market itself but maintains optionality to partner other programs based on capital requirements and indication type. The platform is becoming more efficient at generating molecules, creating more 'shots on goal' for both internal development and potential out-licensing.

Announced positive interim Phase 1 data from the HEADLINE™ trial of ABS-201 Completed $100 million underwritten offering, including $40 million strategic investment from Eli Lilly & Company Cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities now sufficient to fund operations into the second half of 2028 VANCOUVER, Wash. and NEW YORK, Aug. 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Absci Corporation (Nasdaq: ABSI), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company advancing breakthrough therapeutics designed with generative AI, today reported financial and operating results for the quarter ended June 30, 2026. “The positive Phase 1 interim data from our HEADLINE trial, combined with our strengthened balance sheet and advancing platform, position us well for what comes next,” said Sean McClain, Founder and CEO. “We are fast approaching defining moments for Absci, with interim proof-of-concept data for pattern hair loss later this year and our full 26-week readout in early 2027. These results have the potential to demonstrate ABS-201's regenerative mechanism and change the treatment paradigm for the millions of people living with pattern hair loss. And this is just the beginning for our prolactin receptor franchise within our overall proprietary pipeline, with endometriosis expansion ahead.” Recent Highlights Reported positive interim Phase 1 data from Absci's first-in-human trial of ABS-201 (anti-PRLR antibody). Blinded, aggregate interim data suggest study drug was well tolerated and exhibited a favorable safety and tolerability profile. Based on available interim pharmacokinetic (PK) data across all four single ascending dose (SAD) cohorts, half-life for ABS-201 is estimated to be at least 65 days. These results support the potential for dosing two or three times over a six month period, pending confirmation through continued follow-up across all cohorts. Completed $100 million underwritten offering, including a $40 million strategic equity investment from Eli Lilly & Company, and participation from leading financial institutions including Adage, BVF Partners, Columbia Threadneedle, Invus, Redmile, and a large investment management firm. Continuing to dose participants with pattern hair loss (PHL) in multiple ascending dose (MAD) portion of the HEADLINE trial. Absci anticipates reporting interim proof-of-concept data from this study in the second half of 2026 and full proof-of-concept data in early 2027. Prolactin (PRL) Program Portfolio ABS-201 for Pattern Hair Loss: ABS-201, currently undergoing Phase 1/2a studies, is being developed for pattern hair loss (PHL). Absci believes that ABS-201, if successfully developed and approved, could provide a significant new category of PHL treatment that offers the potential for durable hair growth with a convenient administration profile. In June, Absci announced positive interim Phase 1 data from the HEADLINE trial, demonstrating that the study medication appears well tolerated, with favorable safety data across all blinded single ascending dose (SAD) cohorts. Additionally, the estimated half-life of at least 65 days supports the potential for ABS-201's targeted dosing interval of two or three injections over a six-month period. Absci anticipates reporting interim proof-of-concept data in the second half of 2026 and full proof-of-concept data in early 2027. ABS-201 for Endometriosis: Endometriosis is a condition that impacts a large, underserved patient population with significant unmet medical need and poor standard of care. Endometriosis is prevalent in up to 10% of women worldwide, including an estimated 9 million women in the U.S., and there is currently no FDA-approved disease-modifying therapy. ABS-201 for endometriosis represents a novel non-sex steroid hormone mechanism, with potential to be disease-modifying, act on both pain and lesion growth, and offer an improved safety profile. With the safety, tolerability, and PK data generated in the ongoing HEADLINE trial, Absci anticipates initiation of a Phase 2 clinical trial for endometriosis in the fourth quarter of 2026, with potential proof-of-concept data in the second half of 2027. ABS-202 for Undisclosed I&I Indication: ABS-202 is an anti-PRLR antibody in preclinical development for an undisclosed I&I indication. Other Internal Pipeline Programs and Partnerships Absci continues to advance its ongoing drug creation partnered programs, as well as partnering discussions for other internal programs at various stages of preclinical and clinical development. Absci’s new partnership with Eli Lilly is tailored around the clinical development strategy for ABS-201, and does not confer any program rights to Eli Lilly. As part of Eli Lilly’s $40 million strategic investment in Absci, a representative from Eli Lilly has joined Absci’s Endometriosis Advisory Board. Recent Publications, Presentations, and Abstracts Peer-Reviewed Publications mAbs 2026: "Efficient inference of non-polyreactive antibody variants dependent on local fine-tuning" Accepted Presentations and Abstracts American Academy of Dermatology Innovation Academy (AAD) 2026: "ABS-201, an AI-designed Antibody, Blocks Prolactin/PRLR Signaling and Presents a Novel Biologic Strategy for the Treatment of Androgenetic Alopecia" Summer RosettaCon 2026: "Origin-1: A Generative AI Platform for De Novo Antibody Design Against Novel Epitopes" Third Barcelona Hair Meeting 2026: "ABS-201-Mediated Prolactin Receptor Inhibition Promotes Hair Growth in Androgen-Sensitive Male Scalp" European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology Congress (EADV) 2026: "Prolactin Receptor Antagonism by ABS-201 Drives Hair Follicle Growth and Stem/Progenitor Cell Expansion in Human Male Scalp Skin" American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) 2026: "Prolactin Receptor Blockade With Anti-Prolactin Receptor Antibody (Anti-PRLR Ab) Relieves Pain and Inflammation in a Homologous Transplant Mouse Model of Endometriosis" Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results Revenue was $0.3 million for the three months ended June 30, 2026, compared to $0.6 million for the three months ended June 30, 2025. Research and development expenses were $22.6 million for the three months ended June 30, 2026, compared to $20.5 million for the three months ended June 30, 2025. This increase was primarily driven by advancement of Absci's internal programs, including direct costs associated with external preclinical and clinical development of ABS-201, offset by a decrease in personnel-related costs. Selling, general, and administrative expenses were $9.2 million for the three months ended June 30, 2026, compared to $8.5 million for the three months ended June 30, 2025. This increase was primarily due to stock-based compensation and other administrative costs. Net loss was $33.2 million for the three months ended June 30, 2026, compared to $30.6 million for the three months ended June 30, 2025. Cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities as of June 30, 2026 were $201.1 million, compared to $125.7 million as of March 31, 2026. The cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities as of June 30, 2026 reflects $93.6 million of net proceeds from Absci's underwritten offering completed in June 2026. Based on the company's current projections, Absci now believes its cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities will be sufficient to fund its operating plans into the second half of 2028. Webcast Information Absci will host a conference call to discuss its second quarter 2026 business updates and financial and operating results on Tuesday, August 11, 2026 at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time / 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time. A webcast of the conference call can be accessed at investors.absci.com. The webcast will be archived and available for replay for at least 90 days after the event. About Absci Absci is advancing the future of drug discovery with generative design to create better biologics for patients, faster. Our Integrated Drug Creation™ platform combines cutting-edge AI models with a synthetic biology data engine, enabling the rapid design of innovative therapeutics that address challenging therapeutic targets. Absci’s approach leverages a continuous feedback loop between advanced AI algorithms and wet lab validation. Each cycle refines our data and strengthens our models, facilitating rapid innovation and enhancing the precision of our therapeutic designs. Alongside collaborations with top pharmaceutical, biotech, tech, and academic leaders, Absci is advancing its own pipeline of AI designed therapeutics including ABS-201™, a groundbreaking innovation in hair regrowth with the potential to redefine treatment possibilities for androgenetic alopecia, commonly known as male and female pattern hair-loss. ABS-201 is also being investigated as a potential “best-in-class” therapeutic for endometriosis, a condition with significant unmet medical need and market potential. Absci is headquartered in Vancouver, WA, with AI Research Labs in New York City and Serbia, and an Innovation Center in Switzerland. Learn more at www.absci.com or follow us on LinkedIn (@absci), X (@Abscibio) and YouTube. Forward-Looking Statements Statements contained in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding any or all of the following: development and clinical progress of Absci's pipeline programs, including ABS-201, the design, enrollment, conduct, and timelines of our ongoing Phase 1/2a HEADLINE™ trial of ABS-201 for androgenetic alopecia; the anticipated timing of an interim proof-of-concept data readout for ABS-201 in the second half of 2026; the potential advancement of ABS-201 into Phase 3 development; the anticipated initiation of a Phase 2 clinical trial of ABS-201 for endometriosis in the fourth quarter of 2026 and a potential proof-of-concept readout in the second half of 2027; the anticipated characteristics and product profile of ABS-201 as a drug product, our target product profile and its attributes, the terms, anticipated benefits and strategic rational of our collaboration with Elil Lilly including Eli Lilly's participation in our Endometriosis Advisory Board; the potential for an expedited development pathway including the possibility of advancing directly from Phase 1/2a into Phase 3, our planned engagement with the FDA regarding development strategy, and potential market opportunity and commercial prospects for ABS-201 in pattern hair loss and endometriosis; projections regarding potential market opportunity based on various assumptions, including potential regulatory approval, the final approved label, and the evolving competitive landscape, any of which could cause our actual addressable market to differ materially from these projections; the capabilities, development, and anticipated benefits of our ATLAS platform; Absci’s strategy, goals, anticipated financial performance and the sufficiency of its cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities to fund operating plans into the second half of 2028; and expected benefits of its collaborations with partners. Risks that contribute to the uncertain nature of the forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the risks and uncertainties discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in Absci Corporation’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and in any other subsequent filings made by Absci Corporation with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. We disclaim any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this press release, other than to the extent required by law. Investor Contact:Alexander D.H. KhanCorporate Vice PresidentHead of Investor [email protected] Media Contact:[email protected]

Interested in Absci Corporation? Here are five stocks we like better. ABS-201 showed encouraging early Phase 1 results: The antibody was well tolerated in interim data, with an estimated half-life of at least 65 days and potential for only two to three doses over six months. Interim 13-week pattern hair loss proof-of-concept data are expected in the second half of 2026, with full 26-week data planned for early 2027. Absci is expanding ABS-201 into endometriosis: The company plans to start a Phase 2 trial in the fourth quarter of 2026 and said the indication could represent a multibillion-dollar market. Eli Lilly invested $40 million and is advising on development, but Absci retains rights to the program. Funding extends the operating runway: Cash, equivalents and marketable securities rose to $201.1 million at June 30 after a $93.6 million net stock-offering contribution, which management expects to fund operations into the second half of 2028. 2 Reasons Absci Could Be the Future of AI Biotech, and 1 Risk Absci (NASDAQ:ABSI) outlined progress in its clinical program for ABS-201, a prolactin receptor-targeting antibody being studied for pattern hair loss and planned for development in endometriosis, while reporting a larger cash balance following a June equity offering and strategic investment from Eli Lilly. The company said it released positive interim Phase 1 data in June from the ongoing HEADLINE trial of ABS-201. According to Chief Medical Officer Ransi Somaratne, blinded aggregate data suggested the study drug was well tolerated and had a favorable emerging safety, pharmacokinetic and immunogenicity profile. → SoundHound AI Sends a Loud Signal After Its Q2 Earnings Beat Which Healthcare Stock Is the Best Buy Right Now? Based on data from four single-ascending-dose cohorts, Absci estimated ABS-201's half-life at at least 65 days. The company said this profile could support dosing two or three times over six months, subject to confirmation through continued cohort follow-up. Management also said updated modeling indicated that two to three doses could achieve more than 90% prolactin receptor occupancy. The multiple-ascending-dose portion of the HEADLINE study continues to enroll as planned, Somaratne said. Absci expects to report interim 13-week proof-of-concept data in the second half of 2026, followed by full 26-week proof-of-concept data in early 2027. → 3 Dividend Champion Utilities for a Market That Can't Sit Still HEADLINE is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Its primary endpoints are safety and tolerability, while secondary measures include pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, immunogenicity, target-area hair count, hair width and hair pigmentation. The study will also collect patient-reported outcomes. During the question-and-answer session, Somaratne said the company expects to disclose target-area hair count, hair width, pigmentation, and updated safety and tolerability results with its interim data. Management characterized the 13-week readout as an interim assessment intended to show whether the mechanism is beginning to produce a directional signal, while noting that durability would not be established at either 13 or 26 weeks. → Is Wingstop's Growth Story Losing Steam? Chief Executive Officer Sean McClain said the company had changed the terminology used for its lead indication from androgenetic alopecia to pattern hair loss. He said the change did not alter the population being studied or Absci's market-opportunity estimates. Management said it viewed “pattern hair loss” as a more appropriate clinical and consumer-facing description. Absci has said its consumer and key-opinion-leader research suggests that a 26-week improvement of 30 to 35 hairs per square centimeter in target-area hair count could support what it called a “home-run” product profile. The company estimates a potential U.S. total addressable market of more than $25 billion for pattern hair loss, based on its market research and assumptions about the prospective product profile. Absci also plans to initiate a Phase 2 trial of ABS-201 in endometriosis during the fourth quarter of 2026, using safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetic information generated during the single-ascending-dose portion of HEADLINE. The company said it anticipates providing further details on the endometriosis clinical-development plan later in the third quarter. As part of its collaboration with Eli Lilly, Absci said Axel Haupt, M.D., Lilly's senior vice president of clinical investigation, will join Absci's Endometriosis Advisory Board. McClain said Lilly made a $40 million strategic investment in Absci during June. Chief Financial Officer and Chief Business Officer Zach Jonasson said the Lilly relationship is focused on ABS-201's clinical-development strategy and does not give Lilly rights to the program. Absci intends to develop ABS-201 itself, he said, while retaining the option to partner future programs depending on capital requirements, indication and potential return on investment. Management estimates that endometriosis could represent a multibillion-dollar market, with potential peak sales exceeding $4 billion, though these estimates depend on future clinical, regulatory and commercial outcomes. McClain also discussed Atlas, the company's target-discovery platform, which he described as an agentic discovery engine that integrates literature, genetics and single-cell sequencing data to identify and prioritize target hypotheses. Absci said Atlas connects with its Origin antibody-design platform and internal wet-lab work to accelerate target validation and molecule discovery. The company said Atlas identified potential additional indications for its prolactin receptor franchise and independently recovered genetic evidence linking the pathway to pattern hair loss and endometriosis. Absci is also advancing ABS-202, a preclinical anti-prolactin receptor program in an undisclosed immunological and inflammatory indication. Jonasson said the company is prioritizing programs that could potentially be commercialized directly, including in direct-to-consumer settings, while evaluating whether to fund development internally or seek partnerships. He added that the company believes improvements to Origin and Atlas could make its discovery process more efficient. For the three months ended June 30, 2026, Absci reported research and development expenses of $22.6 million, compared with $20.5 million in the prior-year period. The increase was primarily attributed to the advancement of internal programs, including external preclinical and clinical development costs for ABS-201, partially offset by lower personnel-related costs. Selling, general and administrative expenses totaled $9.2 million, compared with $8.5 million a year earlier. The increase was primarily due to stock-based compensation and other administrative costs. Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities stood at $201.1 million as of June 30, up from $125.7 million at March 31. Absci completed an underwritten common-stock offering in June that generated approximately $93.6 million in net proceeds. The company said its current cash resources are expected to fund its operating plan into the second half of 2028. Absci Corporation (NASDAQ: ABSI) is a biotechnology company that applies machine learning, synthetic biology and automation to accelerate the discovery and development of protein-based therapeutics. The company's Integrated Drug Creation® (IDC®) platform is designed to identify and produce novel antibody and enzyme candidates at speeds and scales that traditional biopharma discovery methods cannot match. Absci works with pharmaceutical and biotechnology partners to generate, screen and optimize protein molecules for a wide range of therapeutic applications. The core of Absci's offering is its end-to-end discovery engine, which combines proprietary algorithms, high-throughput laboratory automation and a deep learning framework. This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected]. The article "Absci Q2 Earnings Call Highlights" was originally published by MarketBeat. View MarketBeat's top stocks for August 2026.

Interested in Recursion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.? Here are five stocks we like better. Recursion advanced its pipeline, moving its first neuroscience target from the Roche/Genentech collaboration into joint early drug discovery and receiving FDA clearance to begin the Phase I ZINNIA trial for REC-7735, a selective PI3K inhibitor. In the Phase II TUPELO study, REC-4881 produced a median 43% reduction in FAP polyp burden after three months, with effects observed in both upper and lower gastrointestinal tracts; additional data are expected in November. The company lowered 2026 cash operating expense guidance to $375 million and said its approximately $557 million cash balance supports an operating runway through early 2028, while partnerships have generated more than $500 million in realized cash inflows. 2 Reasons Absci Could Be the Future of AI Biotech, and 1 Risk Recursion Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:RXRX) outlined progress across its clinical pipeline, drug-discovery partnerships and AI-enabled research platform, while lowering its 2026 cash operating expense guidance to $375 million and reaffirming expectations for an operating runway through early 2028. The company said it now has five clinical-stage programs and has generated more than $500 million in realized cash inflows through partnerships. Management emphasized that its drug-discovery approach combines proprietary biological data, AI models and experimental validation in a continuous “lab-in-the-loop” system. → SpaceX’s First Earnings Report Could Decide Whether Shorts or Bulls Have Control These Are the Only 6 Stock Stocks in NVIDIA's 13F Portfolio A central update was the advancement of the first neuroscience target from Recursion’s collaboration with Roche and Genentech into a joint early drug-discovery program. The company described the target as previously unexplored biology that was identified using disease-relevant cellular data, foundation models and experimental validation. According to Recursion, the neuroscience effort used induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neuronal and microglial cells at scale, including more than 1 trillion neurons and hundreds of billions of microglia. The company said its models evaluated biological signatures across more than 17,000 genes and tens of millions of data points, generating potential targets that were subsequently assessed through multiple experimental assays. → 3 Drone Stocks That Should Soar After the Summer Slump Sudden Ascent: Is Recursion Pharmaceuticals NVIDIA’s AI Favorite? Management said the collaboration with Roche Genentech has produced more than $216 million in upfront and milestone payments to date. Recursion also cited the potential for more than $300 million in additional development, commercialization and sales milestones for each future small-molecule program under the collaboration. The company said the milestone provides early evidence that its platform can identify and validate new biological targets rather than solely optimize work on known biology. It added that the underlying datasets could potentially be reused to identify additional neuroscience opportunities. → The Bitcoin Comeback May Already Be Underway—2 ETFs for Exposure Chief Medical Officer Vicki Goodman highlighted REC-4881, an oral MEK1/2 inhibitor being evaluated in familial adenomatous polyposis, or FAP. The disease causes patients to develop hundreds or thousands of polyps in the gastrointestinal tract and often requires colectomy and continued surveillance or additional procedures. Goodman said there are no approved systemic therapies to alter the course of FAP in post-colectomy patients. Recursion estimates there are more than 50,000 such patients in the U.S. and EU5 and cited a potential addressable market exceeding $10 billion. In the ongoing Phase II TUPELO study, patients receiving REC-4881 after colectomy showed a median 43% reduction in polyp burden after three months of treatment, Goodman said. She added that reductions were sustained after three months off treatment and were observed in both the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract. The company characterized the safety profile as manageable, with predominantly mild-to-moderate adverse events consistent with other MEK inhibitors. Recursion is continuing enrollment in TUPELO, including a dose-optimization cohort. Additional data are scheduled for presentation at the CGA-IGC Conference in November, and the company expects to provide an update on FDA discussions later this year. Goodman said regulatory discussions have focused on reducing uncertainty around study design, including the appropriate primary endpoint, in a disease with limited regulatory precedent. Recursion also said the FDA cleared its investigational new drug application for REC-7735, a precision-designed PI3K inhibitor for cancers with the PIK3CA H1047R mutation. The company intends to initiate the Phase I ZINNIA trial later this year. Goodman said REC-7735 was designed to be more than 100-fold selective for the H1047R mutation relative to wild-type PI3K. Existing PI3K inhibitors can inhibit wild-type PI3K and cause hyperglycemia, which can limit dosing and potentially lead to hyperinsulinemia that reactivates the PI3K signaling pathway, she said. The initial dose-escalation portion of ZINNIA will enroll patients with PIK3CA H1047R-mutant solid tumors. Recursion plans to evaluate a cohort of patients vulnerable to hyperglycemia after establishing tolerability at an active dose, followed by dose optimization in ER-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer. The company said it may expand to additional tumor types based on emerging data and expects first dose-escalation data in the first half of 2028. Management said REC-7735 was delivered as a development candidate in 10 months, following the synthesis of 242 compounds across 13 design cycles. The company said its platform identified a previously unpublished binding pocket and found no identified off-target liabilities in its preclinical work. Recursion said it has generated and aggregated more than 50 petabytes of multimodal biological data. Management said its chemistry platform has advanced candidates using roughly 330 compounds over about a year and a half, compared with an industry benchmark cited by the company of roughly 2,500 compounds over four years for small-molecule discovery. The company also described AI agents being deployed in biology, chemistry and clinical development. It said a target-discovery tool can help scientists interrogate biological maps in hours rather than weeks, while a chemistry design agent has reduced structural-analysis work from roughly four hours to about 30 minutes. In clinical development, management said agentic workflows have contributed to enrollment improvements of approximately 1.3 to 1.6 times historical benchmarks. Recursion named Dr. Hoifung Poon as chief AI officer and Dr. Donovan Chin to lead drug design. Management said Poon will oversee the company’s end-to-end AI strategy, while Chin brings experience across small molecules, RNA-targeted therapeutics, proximity-based medicines and peptide modalities. CFO Ben Taylor said the company lowered its 2026 full-year cash operating expense guidance to $375 million, representing a nearly 40% reduction from comparable 2024 pro forma expenses. He said Recursion ended the quarter with approximately $557 million in cash and equivalents and believes that balance provides operating runway through early 2028. Recursion Pharmaceuticals, Inc (NASDAQ: RXRX) is a biopharmaceutical company that combines advanced automation, artificial intelligence and high-throughput biology to discover and develop novel therapeutics. The company's proprietary platform integrates deep-learning algorithms with large-scale cellular imaging and chemical biology, enabling the rapid identification of potential drug candidates across a range of indications. By automating complex laboratory workflows and leveraging computational models, Recursion aims to accelerate the drug discovery process and expand the scope of targets that can be addressed. At the core of Recursion's offering is its digital biology platform, which captures billions of cell images under varying chemical and genetic perturbations. This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected]. The article "Recursion Pharmaceuticals Q2 Earnings Call Highlights" was originally published by MarketBeat. View MarketBeat's top stocks for August 2026.

We expect investors to focus on updates related to Viking Therapeutics’ VKTX pipeline when it reports second-quarter 2026 earnings. In the last reported quarter, the company’s earnings missed expectations by more than 44%. Since the company lacks a marketed drug in its portfolio, no revenues are expected to have been recorded. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at a loss of $1.21 per share. Investor focus will likely be on pipeline updates. Viking Therapeutics’ lead candidate is VK2735, which is being developed to treat obesity. The company is conducting two late-stage studies (VANQUISH-1 and VANQUISH-2) on the subcutaneous (SC) formulation of VK2735. While VANQUISH-1 is evaluating the drug in obese adults with at least one weight-related co-morbid condition and without type II diabetes (T2D), VANQUISH-2 is assessing its efficacy in obese or overweight adults with T2D. Data from these studies is not expected before next year. Investors will likely be seeking updates on the ongoing maintenance dosing study on VK2735, which was initiated last year. This study is evaluating multiple regimens — monthly SC, weekly oral and daily oral dosing — to determine whether the initial weight loss achieved with weekly SC dosing can be sustained. The company had previously announced that it would report SC maintenance results in the third quarter of 2026, followed by oral maintenance results in the first half of 2027. Investors will also likely be interested in seeking updates from VKTX on the study design for the late-stage program on the oral version of VK2735. Viking Therapeutics had previously announced plans to start the program in the fourth quarter of 2026. The biotech firm’s performance has been dismal over the past four quarters. Its earnings missed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering a negative average surprise of 36.70%. Viking Therapeutics, Inc. price-eps-surprise | Viking Therapeutics, Inc. Quote Year to date, shares of the company have gained more than 3% compared withthe industry’s nearly 2% growth. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Per our proven model, companies with the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), #2 (Buy) or#3 (Hold) have a good chance of delivering an earnings beat. This is not the case here. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they're reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Viking has an Earnings ESP of 0.00% and a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Here are some drug/biotech stocks that have the right combination of elements to beat on earnings this time around: Absci Corporation ABSI has an Earnings ESP of +15.22% and a Zacks Rank #2 at present. Shares of ABSI have skyrocketed about 136% year to date. The company’s earnings beat estimates in one of the trailing four quarters, while missing the mark on the other three occasions. Agenus delivered an average negative surprise of 17.58%. Absci will report second-quarter 2026 earnings on Aug. 11, after market close. Edgewise Therapeutics EWTX has an Earnings ESP of +13.28% and a Zacks Rank #2 at present. Shares of EWTX have surged 54% year to date. The company’s earnings beat estimates in three of the trailing four quarters while missing out on one occasion, delivering an average surprise of 5.06%. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (VKTX) : Free Stock Analysis Report Edgewise Therapeutics, Inc. (EWTX) : Free Stock Analysis Report Absci Corporation (ABSI) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research

Issued on behalf of MindWalk Holdings Corp. MindWalk Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ: HYFT) heads into its fourth-quarter and full-year results with fresh index inclusion, an expanded patent estate, and AI-designed programs aimed at two of medicine's biggest frontiers: GLP-1 metabolic health and infectious disease. AUSTIN, Texas, July 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Equity Insider News Commentary - Artificial intelligence has moved from the edges of drug discovery to its center. The biggest pharmaceutical companies in the world are now racing to design molecules with machine learning rather than trial and error, and the market has begun to reward the names building the infrastructure underneath that shift. MindWalk Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ: HYFT), a self-described Bio-Native AI company based in Austin, is one of the smaller players staking out a differentiated position, and it is heading into a catalyst-rich stretch. The company will report fourth-quarter and full fiscal year 2026 results on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, with a conference call scheduled for 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Key Takeaways A dated catalyst ahead. MindWalk will report Q4 and full fiscal year 2026 results on July 22, 2026, giving investors a near-term look at the company's revenue trajectory and program progress. Fresh institutional visibility. MindWalk was added to the Russell 3000E Index effective after the U.S. market close on June 26, 2026, broadening its eligibility for index-tracking funds. A widening IP moat. The company filed a European patent application covering the high-dimensional data architecture behind its proprietary HYFT® Technology and ReefIQ™ biological context layer. Riding the GLP-1 wave. MindWalk is applying its LensAI™ platform and HYFT patterns to a GLP-1 program aimed at sustaining high-quality signaling alongside complementary healthy-aging pathways. Momentum in the peer group. AI-driven drug discovery names have been among the market's stronger performers this year, a backdrop that puts fresh eyes on the smaller companies pursuing the same thesis. A Different Way to Represent Biology Most AI-drug-discovery companies start with a model and feed it data. MindWalk's pitch is that the representation of biology itself is the hard part, and the place to build a durable advantage. At the core of its approach is HYFT Technology, described by the company as a proprietary, function-aware representation of biology built on roughly 660 million biological patterns, universal fingerprints that encode conserved relationships between sequence, structure, and function. That representation underpins two platforms the company markets to partners: ReefIQ, a biological context layer, and LensAI, which integrates sequence models, structural predictions, and reasoning over its biological representation. The company reinforced that foundation in mid-2026 by filing a European patent application directed to high-dimensional data structures for biological subsequences and property inference, intended to protect the enriched biological representation architecture behind HYFT and ReefIQ. For a company whose entire value proposition rests on a differentiated data layer, protecting that layer across jurisdictions is central to the investment case. MindWalk was formerly known as ImmunoPrecise Antibodies before rebranding to MindWalk Holdings Corp. in September 2025, a change that reflects how two decades of wet-lab antibody science became the foundation for its AI: the curated biology from that lab work is what the HYFT representation is built on, and the wet lab and the platform now feed each other. It reported second-quarter fiscal 2026 revenue of approximately US$3.0 million (about CA$4.1 million as reported), up 54% year over year, with gross profit up 94%, and it divested non-core wet-lab operations in the Netherlands for approximately US$11.7 million in net proceeds to sharpen the focus on its AI platform. All figures are as reported by the company; MindWalk reports in Canadian dollars despite its Nasdaq listing. The Company It Keeps: An AI-Discovery Cohort on the Move MindWalk is a small, early-stage name, and the following companies are much larger and are referenced here only as market and thematic context, not as peers, competitors, or financial comparables to HYFT. What they share is a single thesis that has drawn fresh capital in 2026: that artificial intelligence is becoming the engine of biological discovery. Each has been an outperformer this year, which is part of why the smaller companies pursuing the same idea are getting a second look. All performance figures below are as of mid-July 2026 and will change. Absci (Nasdaq: ABSI) is the closest thematic analog to MindWalk, and the connection is direct: MindWalk CEO Dr. Jennifer Bath appeared alongside Absci on an industry panel about partnering to power the new era of drug discovery. Absci uses generative AI to design protein therapeutics, and its stock has been one of the year's standout movers, rising sharply after it reported positive interim Phase 1 data in June 2026 for ABS-201, an antibody its platform designed. Absci demonstrates the market's appetite for the exact category MindWalk operates in: AI that designs biology rather than just analyzing it. AbCellera Biologics (Nasdaq: ABCL) shows how an AI-powered discovery platform can turn into clinical momentum. The Vancouver-based company hit a 52-week high in late June 2026 and has been one of the sector's strongest performers year to date, up roughly 76%, after a first-quarter revenue beat and positive interim Phase 1 data for its lead program. AbCellera's arc, from an antibody-discovery engine into a company advancing its own pipeline, is a useful reference for how the market rewards a platform that begins converting computational capability into clinical assets, the same transition MindWalk is positioning its HYFT platform to make. Viking Therapeutics (Nasdaq: VKTX) is not an AI company, but it sits squarely on the demand wave MindWalk is aiming at. Viking is one of the most closely watched names in GLP-1 and metabolic disease, and its shares have climbed year to date as its obesity pipeline has advanced. The relevance to MindWalk is thematic: MindWalk's LensAI platform has been applied to a GLP-1 program designed to sustain high-quality GLP-1 signaling while engaging complementary resilience pathways implicated in healthy aging. Viking illustrates the scale of investor interest in the metabolic-health frontier that MindWalk's AI work is oriented toward. NVIDIA (Nasdaq: NVDA) is the layer beneath all of it. Every Bio-Native AI ambition ultimately runs on compute, and NVIDIA has extended its reach directly into the field: in June 2026 it announced its BioNeMo Agent Toolkit, tools for AI agents to accelerate scientific discovery. NVIDIA is up year to date and remains the central beneficiary of the AI-infrastructure buildout. Its move into agentic tools for biology underscores that the discovery workflows MindWalk is building, agentic AI operating on a function-aware representation of biology, sit right in the path of where the largest technology company in the space is investing. What July 22 Could Show The upcoming report gives investors a concrete checkpoint. The questions that matter are whether the platform revenue that grew 54% year over year in the second quarter has continued to build, how the balance sheet looks after the Netherlands divestiture, and what management signals about partner engagement and the GLP-1 and infectious-disease programs. MindWalk has also structured its AI-generated assets into a Cayman Islands-based segregated portfolio designed to finance each program individually without diluting parent-company equity, an unusual structure the company argues protects the intellectual property behind each asset while preserving flexibility to fund or spin out programs over time. None of this removes the risk inherent in a small-cap, development-stage AI company whose value rests on early platform traction and its ability to keep funding the work. But the combination of a dated near-term catalyst, fresh index inclusion, an expanding patent estate, and exposure to two of the most heavily funded themes in the market, AI-driven discovery and GLP-1 metabolic health, is the kind of setup that tends to draw attention. The July 22 results will offer the next real data point. CONTINUED… Stay ahead of the next MindWalk Holdings update and follow the story into the July 22 earnings report. About MindWalk Holdings Corp. MindWalk Holdings Corp. (Nasdaq: HYFT) is a Bio-Native AI company building the BioIntelligence infrastructure that life sciences and agentic AI require, integrating AI, data, and advanced wet-lab capabilities into one connected discovery ecosystem. At its core is HYFT Technology, a proprietary, function-aware representation of biology that underpins its ReefIQ and LensAI platforms. The company was formerly known as ImmunoPrecise Antibodies Ltd. and changed its name to MindWalk Holdings Corp. in September 2025. It is headquartered in Austin, Texas. Dr. Jennifer Bath serves as President and Chief Executive Officer. Article SourceEquity [email protected] DISCLAIMER / DISCLOSURE Nothing in this publication should be considered as personalized financial advice. We are not licensed under securities laws to address your particular financial situation. No communication by our employees to you should be deemed as personalized financial advice. Please consult a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decision. This is a paid advertisement and is neither an offer nor recommendation to buy or sell any security. We hold no investment licenses and are thus neither licensed nor qualified to provide investment advice. The content in this report or email is not provided to any individual with a view toward their individual circumstances. This article is being distributed for Market Equities Limited, ("MEL"), which wholly owns and operates Equity Insider. MEL has been paid a fee for MindWalk Holdings ("HYFT") advertising and digital media from Creative Direct Marketing Group ("CDMG"). There may be 3rd parties who may have shares of HYFT, and may liquidate their shares which could have a negative effect on the price of the stock. This compensation constitutes a conflict of interest as to our ability to remain objective in our communication regarding the profiled company. Because of this conflict, individuals are strongly encouraged to not use this publication as the basis for any investment decision. MEL and its owner/operators do not own any shares of HYFT, but reserve the right to buy and sell shares of HYFT at any time without any further notice commencing immediately and ongoing. We also expect further compensation as an ongoing digital media effort to increase visibility for the company, no further notice will be given, but let this disclaimer serve as notice that all material, including this article, which is disseminated by MEL has been reviewed and approved on behalf of HYFT by CDMG. While all information is believed to be reliable, it is not guaranteed by us to be accurate. Individuals should assume that all information contained in our newsletter is not trustworthy unless verified by their own independent research. Always consult a licensed investment professional before making any investment decision. Be extremely careful, investing in securities carries a high degree of risk; you may likely lose some or all of the investment. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This communication contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable U.S. and Canadian securities laws, including statements regarding MindWalk Holdings Corp.'s anticipated financial results and earnings call timing, platform development, partner engagement, patent protection, index inclusion, and its GLP-1, infectious-disease, and other AI-generated programs. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve substantial risks and uncertainties, including technology performance, market acceptance, partnerships, competition, regulatory outcomes, and capital markets conditions. Company-reported figures are stated in Canadian dollars unless otherwise noted and are subject to the company's own reporting. Actual results may differ materially. The Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements except as required by law. HYFT®, HYFT Technology, ReefIQ™, and LensAI™ are trademarks or registered trademarks of MindWalk Holdings Corp. The comparable companies referenced (ABSI, ABCL, VKTX, NVDA) are provided solely as market and thematic context and are not peers, competitors, or comparables of MindWalk Holdings Corp. All third-party stock performance figures are as of mid-July 2026 and are subject to change. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/as-ai-rewrites-drug-discovery-this-bio-native-ai-company-just-joined-the-russell-3000e-and-reports-earnings-july-22-302826193.html View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/July2026/15/c4955.html

Absci Corporation (NASDAQ:ABSI) shares surged 24% on Wednesday after the biotechnology company reported encouraging interim Phase 1 safety data for ABS-201, its experimental antibody treatment for hair loss. The results provided an early boost to investor confidence as the company advances the candidate through clinical development for androgenetic alopecia, the most common form of hair loss. According to Absci, ABS-201 was generally well tolerated across all blinded single ascending dose cohorts evaluated in the ongoing study. The trial enrolled 32 healthy adult participants who received intravenous doses ranging from 150 mg to 1,800 mg across four separate cohorts. The company reported no serious adverse events during the study. Most treatment-emergent adverse events were classified as mild, with the only moderate event being a headache reported in the third cohort. Investigators determined that the event was unlikely to be related to the treatment. The favorable safety profile supports continued development of the therapy and progression into subsequent stages of testing. ABS-201 is an anti-prolactin receptor antibody being developed to treat androgenetic alopecia, a condition that affects an estimated 80 million people in the United States. The therapy is designed to target biological pathways associated with hair loss and could offer a differentiated treatment approach compared with currently available options. Pharmacokinetic data from the study indicated an estimated half-life of at least 65 days. According to the company, the long duration of activity could support a treatment schedule involving only two or three injections over a six-month period. Following the positive initial safety findings, Absci has begun enrolling participants in the first multiple ascending dose cohort involving individuals diagnosed with androgenetic alopecia. The next stage of the study is expected to provide important insights into the drug’s efficacy and its ability to promote meaningful clinical improvements in hair growth. Management expects to release interim proof-of-concept results during the second half of 2026. Full proof-of-concept data are anticipated in early 2027. Alongside the clinical update, Absci announced the pricing of an underwritten public offering consisting of 13.5 million shares. The shares were priced at $7.41 each and are expected to generate gross proceeds of approximately $100 million before underwriting fees and related expenses. The financing attracted participation from several prominent healthcare and institutional investors, including Eli Lilly & Company, Adage, BVF Partners, Columbia Threadneedle, Invus, Redmile and another large investment management firm. Absci said the proceeds will be used to support the continued development of ABS-201 in both androgenetic alopecia and endometriosis. The company also plans to launch a Phase 2 clinical trial for endometriosis later this year. The successful financing strengthens Absci’s balance sheet and provides additional resources to advance multiple programs through key clinical milestones. The strong market reaction reflects growing investor optimism following the positive safety results and the company’s ability to secure significant new capital. With proof-of-concept data expected over the next 12 months and additional clinical studies planned, investors are increasingly focused on whether ABS-201 can demonstrate meaningful efficacy in treating hair loss and support its potential as a future commercial product. The latest results mark an important step forward for the program as Absci continues building its clinical pipeline in areas of significant unmet medical need. Absci Corporation stock price

Interested in Absci Corporation? Here are five stocks we like better. ABS-201 is advancing in a Phase I/IIa trial with favorable early safety and PK signals and milestone timing of blinded SAD data in June 2026, an interim 13-week proof-of-concept in H2 2026, and a full 26-week POC in early 2027 as the company positions it as a potential new category for durable hair regrowth with infrequent injections. Absci disclosed a second prolactin-receptor program, ABS-202 for an immunology/inflammation indication while formally deprioritizing oncology programs (ABS-301/ABS-501) to concentrate resources on ABS-201 and I&I opportunities. Financially, Absci reported Q1 cash of $125.7M, increased R&D spend, and expects runway into the first half of 2028 while pursuing non-dilutive deals and AI-driven efficiency gains to extend resources. 2 Reasons Absci Could Be the Future of AI Biotech, and 1 Risk Absci (NASDAQ:ABSI) executives on Wednesday outlined a “data-rich” 2026 anchored by multiple clinical updates for ABS-201, the company’s anti-prolactin receptor antibody being studied in androgenetic alopecia (AGA), and plans to expand a broader prolactin-focused pipeline with a newly disclosed program, ABS-202. Sean McClain, Absci’s founder and CEO, said the company is positioning ABS-201 as a targeted biologic intended to deliver durable hair regrowth “from a few injections,” rather than competing directly with minoxidil. “We’re aiming to create a new category of hair regrowth therapy,” McClain said, adding that if successful, ABS-201 could represent “the first new mechanism of action in androgenetic alopecia in nearly 3 decades.” → Berkshire Hathaway’s Record Cash Hoard: Why and What's Next? Which Healthcare Stock Is the Best Buy Right Now? Ransi Somaratne, chief medical officer, said Absci’s ongoing phase I/IIa “headline” trial of ABS-201 is “progressing well and tracking according to plan.” The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study is designed with a primary endpoint of safety and tolerability and secondary endpoints that include pharmacokinetics (PK), pharmacodynamics, immunogenicity, and multiple hair-related measures such as target area hair count and width, as well as darkening/pigmentation. Patient-reported outcomes are also being collected, Somaratne said. Somaratne said the company has completed dosing in all four planned healthy volunteer single ascending dose (SAD) cohorts and has initiated dosing in the first multiple ascending dose (MAD) cohort. “To date, emerging safety and tolerability data remain favorable,” he said. He added that preliminary PK modeling from the trial supports Absci’s targeted dosing interval of “two or three injections over a six-month period.” → A Prada Payday: Is AMC Back in Style? Management laid out several expected milestones for ABS-201 in AGA: June 2026: Absci plans to share blinded preliminary safety, tolerability, and PK data from the SAD cohorts. Second half of 2026: An interim proof-of-concept readout including 13-week hair growth data. Early 2027: A full proof-of-concept readout at 26 weeks. Executives repeatedly characterized the 13-week update as a directional look rather than a definitive efficacy endpoint. In response to analyst questions, Somaratne said, “The 13 weeks is really a directional readout. We want to see hair growth, and the 26 week is where we expect to see the oral minoxidil hairs per square centimeter.” CEO McClain similarly said the company is not putting an “official guide” on what to expect at 13 weeks, beyond “directional hair growth.” → Insider Sales: Top AST SpaceMobile Insider Cuts Postion Over 30% Somaratne also said Absci continues to explore an “efficient clinical development strategy,” including the possibility of moving directly from the current phase I/IIa into registrational trials. Alongside AGA, Absci reiterated plans to pursue ABS-201 in endometriosis. McClain said the company continues to advance toward initiation of a phase II endometriosis trial in the fourth quarter of 2026, and noted the recent launch of an endometriosis clinical advisory board with leaders from Yale, UCSF, Duke, and Mayo Clinic. During Q&A, Somaratne addressed the challenge of placebo response in pain-focused endometriosis studies. Drawing on prior experience, he emphasized operational execution, including careful site and investigator selection, placebo training, and ongoing surveillance of blinded data for evidence of placebo response. Somaratne said Absci has also engaged the FDA on its approach to mitigating placebo effects, calling it “really, really important.” Zach Jonasson, chief financial officer and chief business officer, said the company’s top strategic priority remains execution of the ABS-201 headline trial to support future registrational planning in AGA and a phase II plan in endometriosis. He also argued that ABS-201 could offer a favorable return-on-investment profile relative to larger, more costly indications, and that Absci expects to leverage portions of the current SAD and MAD trial work to support a phase II start in endometriosis. Jonasson pointed to market research based on a target product profile that assumed “2.5 years of hair growth following 3 injections” and an effect size of about “35 hairs per centimeter squared versus baseline,” which he described as similar to high-dose oral minoxidil. Based on those surveys of AGA consumers and dermatologists, Jonasson said Absci’s research supports a potential total available market “exceeding $25 billion annually in the U.S.” for that profile, while noting there could be upside if hair growth exceeds the surveyed threshold. On the endometriosis market, Jonasson said the condition is prevalent in up to 10% of women worldwide, including an estimated 9 million women in the U.S., and argued that ABS-201 could define a new category that addresses “not only pain, but also underlying disease.” He said the company believes ABS-201’s profile could support potential peak sales “in excess of $4 billion.” In response to questions about whether ABS-201 could succeed with efficacy comparable to oral minoxidil, McClain said comparable efficacy paired with infrequent dosing would be “a home run product,” and that additional efficacy could expand the opportunity. Jonasson added that consumer and dermatologist research supported the view that durability, infrequent dosing, and a regenerative mechanism could establish “a brand new category of therapy.” Jonasson also shared select survey data points: among men and women surveyed, 87% of men and 69% of women said they would be extremely likely or very likely to seek the product if available, and interest increased among those already using oral minoxidil (to 92% for men and 89% for women). He added that the company did not ask a specific combination-therapy preference question in the survey itself, but said patient interview segments suggested some patients would use ABS-201 on top of standard-of-care therapy. Absci also announced ABS-202, described by McClain as another anti-prolactin receptor antibody for an undisclosed immunology and inflammation (I&I) indication. In Q&A, McClain said ABS-202 is being designed to create “a differentiated profile” and could extend prolactin receptor inhibition into indications beyond AGA and endometriosis, including areas where “pricing differences” may apply. He also cited a growing internal focus on prolactin’s role in autoimmune disease, describing it as part of a “stress inflammatory axis” with effects on “interesting B cell biology,” and noting prolactin receptor expression “all throughout the body.” However, management declined to provide specific details on ABS-202’s properties, such as binding or PK differences, beyond saying it is intended for a different indication and that competitive considerations are limiting disclosure until closer to the clinic. Jonasson also said the company has concluded oncology “no longer fits within our strategic scope” and will deprioritize ABS-301 and ABS-501, with Absci no longer committing internal capital or resources to further development. McClain framed the move as aligning resources behind ABS-201 and a go-to-market focus he described as more compatible with AGA and potentially I&I than oncology. For the first quarter ended March 31, 2026, Jonasson reported revenue of $200,000. Research and development expense rose to $19.3 million from $16.4 million a year earlier, which he said was primarily driven by advancement of internal programs and direct external preclinical and clinical costs for ABS-201. Selling, general, and administrative expense decreased to $9.1 million from $9.5 million, which he attributed primarily to reduced personnel-related costs. Absci ended the quarter with $125.7 million in cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities, down from $144.3 million as of Dec. 31, 2025. Jonasson said the company believes its cash will be sufficient to fund operating plans into the first half of 2028. Management also discussed efforts to generate additional non-dilutive cash through early-stage asset transactions and/or new collaborations, and emphasized the rollout of “agentic AI workflows” across both scientific and business functions. Jonasson said the company is already seeing “meaningful efficiency gains” and expects further cost savings and productivity improvements as implementation continues. Absci Corporation (NASDAQ: ABSI) is a biotechnology company that applies machine learning, synthetic biology and automation to accelerate the discovery and development of protein-based therapeutics. The company's Integrated Drug Creation® (IDC®) platform is designed to identify and produce novel antibody and enzyme candidates at speeds and scales that traditional biopharma discovery methods cannot match. Absci works with pharmaceutical and biotechnology partners to generate, screen and optimize protein molecules for a wide range of therapeutic applications. The core of Absci's offering is its end-to-end discovery engine, which combines proprietary algorithms, high-throughput laboratory automation and a deep learning framework. The article "Absci Q1 Earnings Call Highlights" was originally published by MarketBeat. View MarketBeat's top stocks for May 2026.