Hepion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (HEPA) is up 4.02% in the pre-market trading session at the price of $1.81 despite any recent news. HEPA is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company. It develops therapeutic drugs to treat liver diseases resulting from non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).
HEPA Postponed 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders
On 23rd July 2021, HEPA announced that it had postponed its adjourned 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. The meeting has earlier scheduled for 23rd July 2021 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time. The conference will be rescheduled for a date yet to be fixed by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors will decide a new record date for the Annual Meeting. The notice of the updated Annual Meeting date will deliver to stockholders following the final decision.
Publication of Positive Topline Data from Phase 2a ‘AMBITION’ NASH Trial
On 13th July 2021, HEPA published positive topline results from its Phase 2a ‘AMBITION’ NASH clinical trial. All initial endpoints of the trial were satisfied. AMBITION was a Phase 2a randomized, multi-center, placebo-controlled, and single-blind trial. It had designed to study once-daily oral administration of 75 mg and 225 mg doses of CRV431. The incidence of safety and tolerability events of CRV431 versus placebo was the chief outcome measure of the AMBITION trial. CRV431 doses had tolerated in both studies. No serious unfavorable events (SAEs) had found.
HEPA Joined the Russell Microcap Index
On 9th June 2021, HEPA declared that it joined the Russell Microcap Index after the 2021 Russell indexes annual reconstitution. The addition became effective after the United States market opening on 28th June 2021. Membership in the Russell Microcap® Index remains in place for one year. It indicates inclusion in the appropriate growth and value style indexes. Membership in Russell indexes is determined primarily by objective, market-capitalization rankings, and style attributes. Russell indexes are broadly used by investment managers and institutional investors for index funds and as benchmarks. About $10.6 trillion in assets have benchmarked against Russell’s US indexes. Russell indexes are part of FTSE Russell that is a leading global index provider.
CEO of HEPA, Dr. Robert Foster, remarked that it was a significant milestone for them to join the Russell indexes. They believe in the progress they are making to increase shareholder value by advancing the clinical development of their lead CRV431 drug candidate to treat NASH and other liver diseases. They look forward to the broader exposure and potential interest from the benefits Russell Microcap® Index provides, he added.
