Curis Consents First Six Patients in TakeAim CLL Study
Rhea-AI Summary
Curis (NASDAQ: CRIS) reported an enrollment milestone in its TakeAim CLL study of emavusertib combined with a BTK inhibitor.
The company has consented the first six CLL patients, has 11 clinical sites open, reaffirmed guidance to dose five patients by end of July 2026, and expects initial CLL data in December 2026.
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Positive
- First six CLL patients consented in TakeAim CLL study
- Eleven clinical sites open for TakeAim CLL enrollment as of June 26, 2026
- Guidance reaffirmed to dose five CLL patients by end of July 2026
- Initial TakeAim CLL data expected in December 2026
- Mechanistic rationale: dual NF-kB blockade via BTK inhibitor and emavusertib combination
Negative
- None.
Market reaction: CRIS -14.31% on TakeAim CLL enrollment update
On the day this news was published, CRIS declined 14.31%, reflecting a significant negative market reaction. Argus tracked a trough of -20.0% from its starting point during tracking. Our momentum scanner triggered 14 alerts that day, indicating notable trading interest and price volatility. This price movement removed approximately $2M from the company's valuation, bringing the market cap to $12.16M at that time.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | 24h Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 26 | trial & split update | Positive | +56.0% | TakeAim CLL site activation update plus approval of reverse stock split. |
| May 12 | Q1 2026 results | Negative | -9.2% | Detailed Q1 loss, cash position, and funding runway tied to PIPE warrants. |
| May 05 | earnings date notice | Positive | +8.2% | Scheduled date and webcast details for upcoming Q1 2026 results. |
| Mar 19 | Q4 2025 update | Positive | +1.9% | Q4 net income, PIPE structure, and encouraging emavusertib clinical signals. |
| Mar 12 | earnings date notice | Negative | -5.9% | Announcement of timing and access for Q4 2025 earnings release. |
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Recent headlines have triggered both sharp gains and declines in single-day reactions, with no consistent directional pattern.
Regulatory & Risk Context
Short interest appears low, suggesting limited risk of a short squeeze–driven spike but also less short-covering support on downside moves.
An effective S-3 resale shelf covering registered shares from the January 2026 financing is in place, allowing investors to resell while providing Curis potential cash inflow upon warrant exercises.
Key Terms
irak4 medical
flt3 inhibitor medical
btk inhibitor medical
nf-kb medical
minimal residual disease medical
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
On June 26, 2026, Curis announced that eleven clinical sites had opened for enrollment in the TakeAim CLL study. Today, Curis is announcing that it has consented the first six patients in that study – and reaffirmed its guidance for the dosing of five CLL patients by the end of July 2026, with initial CLL data expected in December 2026.
"We are encouraged by the strong interest among clinical sites and key opinion leaders in our TakeAim CLL study that has enabled us to exceed expectations for site activation and enrollment," said James Dentzer, Chief Executive Officer of Curis. "It reflects the clear unmet need in CLL and the excitement for the potential of emavusertib to fundamentally change the treatment paradigm in CLL."
In CLL, disease is driven by NF-kB dysregulation, which is in turn driven by two biologic pathways: BCR and TLR1. The goal of combining emavusertib with a BTK inhibitor (BTKi) in the TakeAim CLL Study is to enable a dual blockade of NF-kB, by inhibiting both the BCR and TLR pathways. BTK inhibitors (BTKi) block the BCR pathway; emavusertib blocks the TLR pathway.
BTKi is the current standard of care in CLL. In the registrational study for the BTKi zanubrutinib,
About the TakeAim CLL Study
The TakeAim CLL Study is an open label phase 2 study of emavusertib in combination with zanubrutinib in patients with CLL (CA-4948-203, NCT07271667). Participants in the study must be in a partial response (PR) or partial response with lymphocytosis (PR-L), with measurable residual disease (MRD+) as determined by the clonoSEQ assay and actively taking zanubrutinib for at least 12 months. Curis expects to announce the dosing of the initial 5 patients in the TakeAim CLL study by the end of July, with initial data expected in December 2026.
About Curis, Inc.
Curis is a biotechnology company focused on the development of emavusertib, an orally available, small molecule IRAK4 and FLT3 inhibitor. Emavusertib is currently being evaluated in the TakeAim Lymphoma Phase 1/2 study (CA-4948-101) of emavusertib in combination with the BTK inhibitor, ibrutinib, in patients with relapsed/refractory primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) and in the TakeAim CLL Phase 2 study (CA-4948-203) of emavusertib in combination with the BTK inhibitor, zanubrutinib, in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The Company's monotherapy and combination studies in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are substantially complete, with additional funding the Company plans to continue development of emavusertib in AML. Emavusertib has received Orphan Drug Designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of PCNSL, AML and MDS and from the European Commission for the treatment of PCNSL. Curis, through its 2015 collaboration with Aurigene Discovery Technologies Limited, has the exclusive license to emavusertib (CA-4948). For more information, visit Curis's website at www.curis.com.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, without limitation, statements concerning Curis's expectations with respect to the dosing of the first five patients and initial data from the TakeAim CLL study. Forward-looking statements may contain the words "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "plans," "intends," "seeks," "estimates," "assumes," "predicts," "projects," "targets," "will," "may," "would," "could," "should," "likelihood", "continue," "potential," "opportunity," "focus," "strategy," "mission," or similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. Curis may experience adverse results, delays and/or failures in its drug development programs and may not be able to successfully advance the development of its drug candidates in the time frames it projects, if at all. Curis's drug candidates may cause unexpected toxicities, fail to demonstrate sufficient safety and efficacy in clinical studies and/or may never achieve the requisite regulatory approvals needed for commercialization. Favorable results seen in preclinical studies and early clinical trials of Curis's drug candidates may not be replicated in later trials. Curis is dependent on the success of emavusertib and any delays in the development of emavusertib could have a material adverse effect on its business. There can be no guarantee that the collaboration agreement with Aurigene or the CRADA with NCI will continue for their full terms, that Curis or its collaborators will each maintain the financial and other resources necessary to continue financing its portion of the research, development and commercialization costs, or that the parties will successfully discover, develop or commercialize drug candidates under the collaboration. Curis will require substantial additional capital to fund its business. Based on its available cash resources, it does not have sufficient cash on hand to support current operations within the next 12 months from the date of this press release. Curis will require substantial additional funding to fund the development of emavusertib through regulatory approval and commercialization, and to support its continued operations. If it is not able to obtain sufficient funding, it will be forced to delay, reduce in scope or eliminate the development of emavusertib, including related clinical trials and operating expenses, potentially delaying the time to market for, or preventing the marketing of, emavusertib, which could adversely affect its business prospects and its ability to continue operations, and would have a negative impact on its financial condition and its ability to pursue its business strategies. Curis faces substantial competition. Curis and its collaborators face the risk of potential adverse decisions made by the FDA, EMA and other regulatory authorities, investigational review boards, and publication review bodies. Curis may not obtain or maintain necessary patent protection and could become involved in expensive and time-consuming patent litigation and interference proceedings. Unstable market and economic conditions, natural disasters, public health crises, political crises and other events outside of Curis's control, including its ability to regain and maintain its listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market, could significantly disrupt its operations or the operations of third parties on which Curis depends and could adversely impact Curis's operating results and its ability to raise capital. Other important factors that may cause or contribute to actual results being materially different from those indicated by forward-looking statements include the factors set forth under the captions "Risk Factor Summary" and "Risk Factors" in our most recent Form 10-K, and the factors that are discussed in other filings that Curis periodically makes with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, any forward-looking statements represent the views of Curis only as of today and should not be relied upon as representing Curis's views as of any subsequent date. Curis disclaims any intention or obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this press release whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law.
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1 Bennett, Curr Opin Hematol. 2022
2 Zanubrutinib USPI.
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SOURCE Curis, Inc.