Why Kezar Life Sciences Shares Are Volatile After Hours

Kezar Life Sciences Inc KZR shares are trading higher in Monday's after-hours session after the company announced that it has received clearance of its Investigational New Drug (IND) application from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for zetomipzomib.

Zetomipzomib is Kezar's selective immunoproteasome inhibitor for the treatment of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), a rare, chronic disease in which the immune system attacks the liver and causes inflammation and tissue damage.

"Autoimmune hepatitis is a disease where there is a good fit between the pathophysiology of the disease and mechanism of action of zetomipzomib, as well as significant unmet medical need and few alternative therapies," said Noreen Henig, chief medical officer of Kezar.

Kezar will move forward with the Phase 2a PORTOLA trial, which is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of zetomipzomib in patients with AIH that are insufficiently responding to standard of care or have relapsed. The primary efficacy endpoint will measure the proportion of patients who achieve a complete response.

Kezar is a clinical-stage biotechnology company discovering and developing breakthrough treatments for immune-mediated and oncologic disorders.

See Also: Bluebird Bio Offers World's Most Expensive Drugs, But Uncertainty Looms Over Its Financial Future

KZR Price Action: Kezar has a 52-week high of $18.55 and a 52-week low of $4.30.

The stock hit $9.40 in after-hours trading before pulling back. It was up 5.68% at $9.30 at time of publication, according to Benzinga Pro.

Photo: Konstantin Kolosov from Pixabay.