ORIC® Pharmaceuticals Presents Preclinical Data to Support the Potential of Rinzimetostat Across Prostate Cancer and in Emerging Resistance Settings at the 2026 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting
Rhea-AI Summary
ORIC (Nasdaq: ORIC) announced multiple poster presentations at the 2026 AACR Annual Meeting (April 2026) describing preclinical data for rinzimetostat (ORIC-944), an allosteric EED/PRC2 inhibitor for prostate cancer. Key findings: early and sustained PRC2 activity in prostate cancer, combination activity with darolutamide, and activity in PRC2-resistant models.
The posters report rinzimetostat's improved solubility, oral bioavailability, CYP profile, and clinical half-life versus comparators, plus retained activity where EZH1/EZH2 resistance is observed.
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Key Figures
Market Reality Check
Peers on Argus
Peer moves are mixed: NUVB (-1.43%), MAZE (+0.07%), RAPP (+8.54%), ATNF (+2.92%), ELVN (+3.42%). Only NUVB appeared in the momentum scanner, and sector data do not indicate a coordinated move with ORIC.
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 03 | Inducement grants | Neutral | +0.2% | Granted stock options and RSUs to a new non-executive employee. |
| Mar 31 | Phase 3 preparation | Positive | -41.0% | Selected rinzimetostat 400 mg RP3D and shared encouraging Phase 1b data. |
| Mar 27 | Data announcement | Neutral | -2.6% | Announced upcoming presentation of Phase 1b rinzimetostat dose optimization data. |
| Mar 17 | AACR poster notice | Positive | -10.0% | Announced acceptance of rinzimetostat preclinical posters at AACR 2026. |
| Mar 06 | Inducement grants | Neutral | -15.0% | Reported small inducement equity awards to a new employee. |
Several positive rinzimetostat updates, including Phase 3 selection and prior AACR poster news, saw negative 24-hour price reactions, indicating past divergences between clinical optimism and near-term trading.
Over the past six weeks, ORIC has focused on advancing rinzimetostat and enozertinib while strengthening its balance sheet. On Mar 6 and Apr 3, it reported routine inducement grants with limited price impact. A key Mar 31 update selected rinzimetostat’s Phase 3 dose but coincided with a -41% move. AACR-focused preclinical posters were first announced on Mar 17, followed by another decline. Today’s AACR data deepen the preclinical narrative around PRC2 resistance and combinations in prostate cancer.
Market Pulse Summary
This announcement adds detail to the rinzimetostat story by showing PRC2 activity across >1,100 prostate samples and exploring resistance settings where EED targeting may have advantages over EZH2 inhibition. It builds on recent Phase 1b and Phase 3–planning updates and supports ORIC’s focus on prostate cancer mechanisms of resistance. Investors may watch for future clinical readouts, combination data with androgen receptor inhibitors, and how these preclinical findings translate into outcomes in metastatic CSPC and CRPC populations.
Key Terms
allosteric inhibitor medical
prc2 medical
androgen receptor medical
transcriptomics medical
chromatin medical
ezh2 medical
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. and SAN DIEGO, April 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ORIC Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ORIC), a clinical stage oncology company focused on developing treatments that address mechanisms of therapeutic resistance, today announced the presentation of multiple poster presentations at the 2026 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting highlighting the potential of rinzimetostat (ORIC-944), a potent and selective allosteric inhibitor of PRC2 to treat prostate cancer. The posters can be found in the publication section of ORIC’s website here.
“Our research continues to show the therapeutic potential of PRC2 inhibition across the prostate cancer disease spectrum, by reducing tumor adaptability and sustaining the benefit derived from androgen-receptor targeted therapies,” said Lori Friedman, PhD, chief scientific officer. “Additionally, our preclinical studies reveal that targeting PRC2 via EED has potential advantages over targeting EZH2, which, together with the clinical data generated to date, furthers our conviction that rinzimetostat is a potential best-in-class PRC2 inhibitor.”
Poster presentations:
Rinzimetostat blockade of PRC2 activity, a key mechanism of treatment resistance, improves response of androgen receptor pathway inhibition across a spectrum of prostate cancer models
Key findings of the presentation:
- In a transcriptomics analysis of >1,100 prostate samples spanning normal prostate, primary prostate cancer, and metastatic disease, PRC2 activity was observed early in the development of prostate cancer and was sustained during disease progression and treatment resistance, highlighting it as a critical therapeutic target.
- More than half of localized primary tumors demonstrated elevated PRC2 activity vs. normal prostate tissue, and an elevated PRC2 activity in locally advanced tumors associates with poor survival, indicative of a key role early in the disease.
- Elevated PRC2 activity was observed in the vast majority of both metastatic CSPC and metastatic CRPC tumors relative to normal prostate tissue.
- Rinzimetostat in combination with darolutamide demonstrated antitumor activity across a breadth of in vivo models representing the prostate cancer continuum, including CSPC and CRPC.
Rinzimetostat, an allosteric EED inhibitor with best-in-class properties for the treatment of prostate cancer, is effective in PRC2 methyltransferase-resistant settings in preclinical studies
Key findings of the presentation:
- PRC2 inhibition induces transcriptional and chromatin effects that restrain tumor plasticity and enhance antitumor activity of androgen receptor inhibitors in prostate cancer models.
- Differential potency of PRC2 inhibitors on EZH1- vs. EZH2-containing complexes impacts activity in resistance contexts, providing potential advantages for EED targeting.
- Rinzimetostat retained antitumor activity in prostate cancer cells with overexpressed EZH1 in vitro, while potency was diminished for mevrometostat or tazemetostat.
- Preclinical studies show that rinzimetostat overcomes acquired resistance mechanisms observed in the clinic for tazemetostat and valemetostat.
- Rinzimetostat demonstrates improved solubility, oral bioavailability, CYP profile, and clinical half-life versus comparator compounds.
About ORIC Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
ORIC Pharmaceuticals is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to improving patients’ lives by Overcoming Resistance In Cancer. ORIC’s clinical stage product candidates include (1) rinzimetostat, an allosteric inhibitor of the polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) via the EED subunit, being developed for prostate cancer, and (2) enozertinib, a brain-penetrant inhibitor targeting EGFR exon 20 and EGFR PACC mutations, being developed for NSCLC. ORIC has offices in South San Francisco and San Diego, California. For more information, please go to www.oricpharma.com, and follow us on X or LinkedIn.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements as that term is defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Statements in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include, among other things, the continued clinical development of rinzimetostat; the potential advantages of rinzimetostat; statements regarding the potential best-in-class properties of rinzimetostat; the development plans and timelines for rinzimetostat and enozertinib; plans underlying ORIC’s clinical trials and development; and statements by the company’s chief scientific officer. Words such as “believes,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “expects,” “intends,” “will,” “goal,” “potential” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained herein are based upon ORIC’s current expectations and involve assumptions that may never materialize or may prove to be incorrect. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to: risks associated with the process of discovering, developing and commercializing drugs that are safe and effective for use as human therapeutics and operating as an early clinical stage company; ORIC’s ability to develop, initiate or complete preclinical studies and clinical trials for, obtain approvals for and commercialize any of its product candidates; changes in ORIC’s plans to develop and commercialize its product candidates; the potential for clinical trials of rinzimetostat, enozertinib or any other product candidates to differ from preclinical, initial, interim, preliminary or expected results; negative impacts of health emergencies, economic instability or international conflicts on ORIC’s operations, including clinical trials; the risk of the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of ORIC’s license and collaboration agreements or its clinical trial collaboration and supply agreements; the potential market for ORIC’s product candidates, and the progress and success of competing therapeutics currently available or in development; ORIC’s ability to raise any additional funding it will need to continue to pursue its business and product development plans; regulatory developments in the United States and foreign countries; ORIC’s reliance on third parties, including contract manufacturers and contract research organizations; ORIC’s ability to obtain and maintain intellectual property protection for its product candidates; the loss of key scientific or management personnel; competition in the industry in which ORIC operates; general economic and market conditions; and other risks. Information regarding the foregoing and additional risks may be found in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in ORIC’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) on February 23, 2026, and ORIC’s future reports to be filed with the SEC. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release, and ORIC assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements, except as required by law.
Contact:
Dominic Piscitelli, Chief Financial Officer
dominic.piscitelli@oricpharma.com
info@oricpharma.com
