Aprea Advances APR-1051; Phase 1 Enrollment Accelerates
(RTTNews) - Aprea Therapeutics, Inc. (APRE), a clinical-stage precision medicine oncology company developing targeted therapies for biomarker-defined cancers, reported second-quarter 2026 financial results and provided business updates, highlighting accelerating enrollment in the Phase 1 ACESOT-1051 trial of APR-1051 and plans to expand the program into multiple cancer indications.
Company Profile
Aprea focuses on developing targeted therapies designed to exploit vulnerabilities associated with cancer cell mutations while minimizing effects on healthy cells. Its lead programs include APR-1051, an oral WEE1 inhibitor, and ATRN-119, a selective ATR inhibitor.
Pipeline Update
APR-1051 for Biomarker-Defined Cancers
Aprea's oral WEE1 inhibitor APR-1051 is being evaluated in the ongoing Phase 1 ACESOT-1051 trial, with enrollment accelerating as dose escalation progresses.
The company has expanded active clinical sites from three to ten and expects enrollment to reach 6 to 10 patients per month by Q4 2026.
Aprea plans to advance APR-1051 as a single agent in uterine serous carcinoma (USC) and Cyclin E-overexpressing platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (PROC), while also evaluating combinations with standard-of-care therapies in HPV-positive head and neck cancer and colorectal cancer.
Updated Phase 1 data presented at ASCO 2026 showed early single-agent activity, including partial responses and disease stabilization, with a manageable tolerability profile.
The company expects to provide its next clinical data update at a medical meeting in Q4 2026. Completion of dose escalation and backfill expansion is anticipated in Q2 2027.
ATRN-119
Aprea's selective ATR inhibitor ATRN-119 previously reached its recommended Phase 2 dose of 1,100 mg once daily in the ABOYA-119 Phase 1/2a study. The company subsequently closed the study to focus resources on APR-1051.
Aprea is evaluating potential future combination studies of ATRN-119 with immune checkpoint inhibitors, chemotherapy, antibody-drug conjugates and radiation therapy.
Q2 2026 Financial Results
For the second quarter ended June 30, 2026, Aprea reported an operating loss of $4.0 million, compared with $3.4 million in the prior-year quarter.
R&D expenses increased to $2.5 million, compared with $1.9 million in Q2 2025, primarily due to higher costs associated with the ACESOT-1051 trial, partially offset by lower expenses from the closed ATRN-119 study.
G&A expenses remained at $1.6 million, unchanged from the same period in 2025.
Aprea reported a net loss of $3.6 million, or $0.07 per basic share, compared with a net loss of $3.2 million, or $0.53 per basic share, in Q2 2025.
Cash Position
Aprea held $41.2 million in cash and cash equivalents as of June 30, 2026.
The company expects its cash and cash equivalents to support currently projected operating expenses and capital requirements into Q1 2028.
Business Update
Aprea also has an early-stage macrocyclic DYRK1A/B inhibitor program that could enter IND-enabling studies in Q4 2026, subject to available resources.
The continued acceleration of APR-1051 enrollment and planned expansion into biomarker-defined cancer populations represent key near-term milestones as Aprea advances its precision oncology pipeline.
APRE is currently trading at $0.67, up 0.78%.
