r/Biotechplays

Biotech catalyst and short-pressure watchlist for next week

Sharing a biotech-only watchlist I put together for weekend research.

This is not meant to be a buy list. I was looking for biotech names where multiple factors overlap, including short interest, borrow pressure, low float, days to cover, liquidity, and upcoming catalyst context.

The highest pressure name from the scan was SONN, due to active volume, low float, elevated short float, and high borrow cost.

Other names that stood out from the pressure side:

ELTX — high borrow pressure / low float
SLS — short pressure with Phase 3 data readout context
VERA — PDUFA decision context
RGNX — Phase 3 readout context
ALT — elevated short interest and DTC
CMPX — catalyst context plus short pressure

For catalyst tracking, I also flagged CHRS, AVBP, OLMA, INO, IMUX, and ZNTL based on upcoming event timing and historical reaction data.

Biotech can be brutal, especially around clinical data and FDA events, so I treat this as a research list first. The goal is to identify names worth deeper DD, not to blindly chase tickers.

I built the graphic from my scanner data. The tool is at scstonkemporium.com, but I’m mainly posting this here because I figured a biotech-specific version would be more useful to this sub than the broader watchlists.

Watchlist only. Not financial advice.

u/Adventurous-Shoe-903 — 1 day ago

▲ 8 r/Biotechplays+3 crossposts

Due Diligence: DRTS and the Abscopal Effect (the HOLY GRAIL of ONCOLOGY)

I'll give you the bullets and, if this is interesting, you can get into the deep dive below.

Bullets...

Alpha Darts have been tested in conjunction with Keytruda (Pembrolizumab)
What? Keytruda is Merck's $32B/year immunotherapy drug.
When? Results will be announced on Tuesday, July 21st, 2026 at the AHNS cancer conference in Boston
Who cares? Every oncologist, every solid tumor cancer patient and every DRTS investor
Why? We may see the first fully documented Abscopal Effect
What's that? Abscopal Effect is where treating one tumor causes tumors throughout the body to shrink - even though they were never directly treated.
How? Keytruda can't "see" cold tumors. Cold tumors are its achilles heel. Once Alpha DaRTs "light them up" the tumor turns hot and Keytruda allows your immune system to destroy tumors all over the body.
Which? All solid tumors.
All? Yes. Skin, Breast, Lung, Colorectal, Pancreas, Prostate, Ovarian, Cervical, Head, Oral, Liver, Bladder, Vulvar, etc.
Wait... Which doesn't it treat? The liquid cancers: Leukemia, Lymphoma, Multiple Myeloma
OMG! I know, right?

Deep dive due diligence

Still here? Ok. Stay with me because what you'll read below might make you very wealthy. At minimum, you'll be more interesting at parties.

First, what is Keytruda? Keytruda is an immunotherapy. It's a PD-1 inhibitor and it's on pace to be the best selling (revenue) drug of all time.

Your body has killer T-cells that have a receptor on their surface called PD-1. It's like an "off-switch" to prevent it from destroying everything in a healthy body. PD-L1 is a camouflage shield that cancer uses to "trick" the killer T-cells into passing by the cancer.

When a T-cell approaches a cancer cell to inspect it, the cancer cell pushes the shield (PD-L1) into the T-cell's off-switch (PD-1). By plugging into that receptor, the cancer cell slams the brakes and the T-cell goes to sleep and the cancer continues to grow undetected.

Keytruda is an antibody engineered to fit perfectly on the PD-1 receptor of the immune cell. When a patient receives Keytruda, the drug floods the system and physically caps the PD-1 receptors with the result that the cancer can no longer flip the off-switch. The body's immune system (T-cells) recognize the cancer as hostile and destroy it.

Sounds amazing! It is. But Keytruda has a weakness called "cold tumors."

For Keytruda to be effective, it has to have two things:

Killer T-cells must already be inside or surrounding the tumor
Those T-cells must be actively trying to fight the cancer but are suppressed (shut off) by the tumor's defense shield.

Cold tumors have no T-cells inside the microenvironment to begin with. Keytruda's job is to "cut the brakes" so that the killer T-Cells don't stop fighting. No T-cells to cut brakes, no reaction to cold tumors.

Alpha Darts can target cold tumors. Using CT and MRI, we (humans) can see the tumors. Both hot and cold tumors will show up and appear as physical, abnormal masses of tissue. You won't be able to tell if the tumor is hot or cold because you can't see if it's crawling with fighting T-cells (hot) or if it's been deserted by the immune system (cold.)

Via advanced imaging (Immuno-PET) a hot tumor will glow brightly because it's packed with T-cells. A cold tumor will remain dim because there are no T-cells for the tracker to stick to.

Identifying and targeting the cold tumor is the key to unlock...

T H E H O L Y G R A I L

A cold tumor is completely invisible to the immune system. There are no T-cells there so drugs like Keytruda are completely useless.

By inserting Alpha DaRT directly into a cold tumor, the localized high LET radiation physically shatters the cancer cells. This forced destruction acts like a giant biological flare gun. It forces the tumor to spill its hidden internal proteins (antigens) directly into the tissue microenvironment.

This "wakes up" the immune system and rushes killer T-cells to the site and effectively turns the cold tumors hot. Once those T-cells are trained on the newly exposed cancer "fingerprints", they can travel through the bloodstream to hunt down other metastatic tumors elsewhere in the body. Keytruda ensures they never hit the brakes.

This is called the Abscopal Effect and it is a major paradigm shift in oncology.

Alpha DaRT's superpower here is its ability to "light up" a cold tumor, creating the exact environment that Keytruda needs to step in, jam the immune brakes open and unleash a full-body abscopal effect.

Historical note: We've seen some evidence of abscopal effect with Alpha Tau in the past. If you remember, we saw an instance during the Pancreatic presentation.

Personal note: My concern with this upcoming event is that we're dealing with elderly head & neck cancer cases. Elderly people already have a diminished immunity system and the recurring head and neck won't help. This Abscopal Effect won't wipe out tumors systemically unless there are T-cells to do battle. And the truth is that this combination therapy wasn't designed to test for Abscopal Effect but there is good news: It was set up with Best Overall Response Rate (ORR) as its primary objective.

RESULTS SO FAR...

The amazing news is that it worked, at least in early efforts.

ORR means the total percentage of patients whose cancer meaningfully shrank or disappeared.

ORR for Keytruda: 19%

ORR for Keytruda + Alpha DaRT: 75% (!)

Complete Response (CR) means all target cancer lesions have completely disappeared.

Complete Response Rate for Keytruda: 5%

Complete Response Rate for Keytruda + Alpha DaRT: 37.5% (!!)

If these numbers hold up in the presentation, this is a massive performance improvement to the biggest selling immune drug on Earth.

How this could play out...

Remember, Alpha DaRTs are a device and not a drug. Sorry to keep stressing that but it's important. With a device, you run a 30-50 person safety/feasibility trial and then you run a 300 person efficacy "pivot" trial.

If you are safe (trial 1) and more effective than the standard of care (trial 2) you get a gold star on your forehead and the FDA calls you certified.

The challenge is that the FDA won't approve Alpha DaRT + Keytruda. That's not how the FDA works. What they'll do is clear the path for Alpha DaRT + Keytruda in head and neck cancers to be approved.

Then, Alpha DaRT + Keytruda in the next solid tumor and the next solid tumor and the next solid tumor.

And each time, Alpha DaRT + Keytruda will be looking not just for ORR and Complete Response rates but they'll be looking for Abscopal effects.

Which cancers tend to be "cold?"

These will be names you recognize from recent, impressive results:

PDAC Pancreatic cancer - This is the quintessential cold tumor. Up to 70% of the tumor mass isn't actually cancer cells, it's a dense, scarring physical wall (desmoplastic stroma) made of collagen and hyaluronic acid (needed AI for that one.)

Glioblastoma (aggressive brain cancer) - GBM populates an environment heavily dominated by immunosuppressive cells rather than T-Cells. Keytruda has struggled here.

Ovarian cancer - some go hot but most are in "cold deserts."

Prostate cancer - Low mutational burden so it looks like normal healthy tissue. Once it becomes resistant to hormone therapy (castration-resistant prostate cancer) it metastasizes to the bone and is incredibly difficult to treat.

Colorectal cancer - 95% of metastatic colorectal cancers are "Microstaellite-Stable (MSS), meaning they have few mutations and are entirely cold. Keytruda is great with the 5% hot tumors here.

Oncology researchers are desperate for bridging technologies like Alpha DaRT. If a local treatment can shatter the dense stromal walls of PanC or force a low-mutation prostate tumor to spill internal antigens, it will act as a mechanical override - forcing these highly fatal "cold fortresses" to turn hot.

COSTS...

Reimbursement: If you have a choice of reimbursing a drug you know (Keytruda) and an outpatient targeted radiation treatment like Alpha DaRT or you could reimburse for Car-T, TIL Therapy or TCR-T therapy plus a required hospital stay, as an insurance provider, you're going with Keytruda every day. Here's why.

Keytruda: $10k to $15k per dose (given every 3 to 6 weeks) A full year costs $150k to $185k.

CAR-T therapy: MFG cost: $375k Total cost (plus hospital) $1M

TIL Therapy: MFG cost: $515k Total cost + hospital: $1M

TCR-T Therapy: MFG cost: $400k Total cost + hospital $1M

The reason these therapies are expensive is because scientists must physically harvest your cells, ship them to a multi-million dollar lab, re-engineer or cultivate them over several weeks and ship them back. This is a one-patient, one batch process. Then, patients must undergo intense chemotherapy to clear out their existing immune system to make room for the new engineered cells. The therapies can trigger life-threatening immune overreactions and patients routinely require days or weeks in ICU to manage the dangerous side effects while the cells adapt.

Compare that to popping a pill and undergoing a biopsy like outpatient procedure.

Not only the insurance guy but the oncologist and the patient will all want Keytruda + DaRTs.

CLOSING...

Still reading? Thank you for allowing me to share a double Ted talk. The abscopal effect, if it shows up consistently in conjunction with Keytruda means that we've won a battle. Oncologists have a new weapon, patients have new hope, and we have invested in a multi-billion dollar global platform across all solid tumors and we were there back when it was at a paltry $1B market cap back in mid-2026.

reddit.com

u/Emotional-Breath-838 — 4 days ago

▲ 4 r/Biotechplays+1 crossposts

Unicycive Therapeutics Receives Complete Response Letter from FDA Regarding Resubmitted Oxylanthanum Carbonate (OLC) New Drug Application (NDA)

>The CRL is based on the same third-party manufacturing deficiencies that were identified in the previous CRL issued in June 2025. Unicycive understands that the FDA has not yet conducted its inspection of that third-party manufacturing vendor as part of the review process of the resubmitted NDA. The NDA for OLC had been resubmitted based on Unicycive’s belief of continued progress by the original third-party manufacturing vendor in resolving FDA-cited deficiencies and demonstrating inspection readiness. Unicycive previously discussed these milestones during a Type A meeting with the FDA in September 2025, which was held to obtain feedback and alignment on resolving the deficiencies identified in the Company’s CRL related to the compliance status of the vendor. The FDA did not express any concerns about the third-party manufacturer’s progress and no additional issues were raised by the FDA at the Type A meeting.

https://ir.unicycive.com/news/detail/123/unicycive-therapeutics-receives-complete-response-letter

It's been a while since I've seen the Agency issue a CRL due to a lack of a facility inspection. Not since the Covid era, when travel restrictions impacted a lot of inspections. I would love to see the CRL, to see if there is any hint as to why the 3rd party facility wasn't inspected. But unfortunately, the FDA hasn't published any CRLs since Makary left. The most recent CRL on the FDA website is Abbvie's April 22nd CRL.

ir.unicycive.com

u/TwongStocks — 6 days ago

▲ 6 r/Biotechplays+1 crossposts

Daily Watchlist - Wednesday June 1st

Today was a **record setting day for alerts at the Stonk Emporium**.

We had **$JEM hit a staggering +1,099.0% from alert to HOD**, **$CELZ hit +482.6%**, and **$LGCL hit +187.7%**.

The alert stack was on fire across **borrow spikes, after-hours expansion, runners, HOD pressure, short-pressure setups, and momentum scans**.

Join us for more alerts, scanners, and daily watchlists:

**Website:** https://www.scstonkemporium.com
**Discord:** https://discord.gg/fGmHHgNzxQ

u/Adventurous-Shoe-903 — 5 days ago

▲ 9 r/Biotechplays+1 crossposts

Daily Watchlist - June 30th

Today’s board was led by $UPC at $12.18 (+311.49%), $TNMG at $1.0100 (+106.97%), $DCOY at $9.59 (+73.79%), $SDOT at $35.85 (+67.13%), and $DGNX at $1.4000 (+58.51%) — all flagged as Daily Top Gainers.

The new Cockpit Trade Center is built to turn market chaos into a cleaner trading command center: daily watchlists, live scanners, biotech catalysts, earnings, trade ideas, smart-money flow, social heat, and momentum confirmation all in one place.

Check it out:
https://www.scstonkemporium.com
Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/fGmHHgNzxQ

u/Adventurous-Shoe-903 — 6 days ago

▲ 24 r/Biotechplays+7 crossposts

$DRTS - Alpha Tau Successfully Treats First Recurrent Glioblastoma Patient Outside of the United States with Alpha DaRT® at Hadassah University Medical Center in Israel (NASDAQ: DRTS)

Alpha Tau Successfully Treats First Recurrent Glioblastoma Patient Outside of the United States with Alpha DaRT® at Hadassah University Medical Center in Israel

- First glioblastoma patient ever treated with Alpha DaRT® outside of the United States, and the first in Israel - performed at Hadassah University Medical Center in Jerusalem, one of the world's premier academic neurosurgical institutions -

- The procedure marks the first international clinical application of Alpha DaRT's brain-specific proprietary delivery system -

- Glioblastoma is the most common and aggressive primary brain cancer, with approximately 160,000 new cases diagnosed globally each year; with recurrence occurring in virtually all patients, typically within 6-9 months, for which there is no established standard of care -

- The patient was treated under the ALL clinical protocol, Alpha Tau's broad-access study at Hadassah University Medical Center open to patients with solid tumors in any location of the body amenable to Alpha DaRT source delivery -

JERUSALEM, June 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Alpha Tau Medical Ltd. (Nasdaq: DRTS, DRTSW) ("Alpha Tau"), the developer of the innovative alpha-radiation cancer therapy Alpha DaRT®, today announced the successful treatment with Alpha DaRT of the first glioblastoma patient in Israel, and the first ever outside of the United States, performed at Hadassah University Medical Center in Jerusalem. The procedure was carried out by a multidisciplinary team led by Prof. Yigal Shoshan, Professor of Neurosurgery at Hadassah University Medical Center. Using the Company's proprietary brain applicator under real-time stereotactic neuro-navigation, Alpha DaRT sources were precisely delivered to the recurrent tumor through a single, minimally-invasive burr hole entry point into the brain. The procedure was completed safely and without unexpected complications.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and most lethal primary brain tumor in adults, with approximately 160,000 new cases diagnosed globally each year. Following standard first-line treatment, typically consisting of a combination of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, recurrence is virtually inevitable, occurring in nearly all GBM patients within 6 to 9 months of initial treatment. It is at this stage that the disease becomes most unforgiving: median overall survival from the time of recurrence is only an additional 6 to 9 months, there is no standard of care, and the majority of patients are ineligible for repeat surgical resection — leaving them with severely limited therapeutic options. It is precisely this population, facing progression with nowhere left to turn, that Alpha DaRT aims to reach.

Uzi Sofer, CEO of Alpha Tau, stated: "Today's announcement marks a significant milestone for Alpha Tau's glioblastoma program: the first-ever treatment of a GBM patient outside of the United States, delivered at an institution as scientifically rigorous and globally respected as Hadassah. Israel is the birthplace of Alpha DaRT, and bringing this technology to Israeli brain tumor patients — patients who today have so few options — is a moment of deep pride and significance for our entire team."

Prof. Yigal Shoshan, Professor of Neurosurgery at Hadassah University Medical Center, stated: "I am proud that this first Israeli case has advanced the field not just by a geography, but by a genuine technical step forward. My involvement in Alpha DaRT for brain tumors began in the laboratory, through our preclinical study, in which we demonstrated that stereotactic implantation of Alpha DaRT sources in the swine brain was both safe and technically feasible. That work laid the scientific and procedural groundwork for today's clinical milestone. The procedure was completed successfully, without unexpected complications, and represents an important proof of concept for how the flexibility of Alpha DaRT's delivery system can be adapted to the complexity of individual brain tumor anatomy. The patient — male, 77 years old, with recurrent glioblastoma following surgery and radiation therapy — tolerated the procedure well."

Dr. Robert Den, CMO of Alpha Tau, commented: "Treating a patient with glioblastoma who has no remaining standard of care — under a protocol designed precisely to reach that population — is exactly what this program is built for. The treatment of the first patient in Israel adds to the momentum of our multicenter US Recurrent GBM REGAIN trial, which is continuing to recruit patients swiftly following the fantastic interim results last month and the FDA clearance to proceed to full enrollment with the addition of two new leading U.S. academic centers. Together, these milestones are building a genuine clinical foundation for Alpha DaRT in one of oncology's most challenging and underserved diseases. We look forward with genuine anticipation to learning from Prof. Shoshan and his team as this work progresses, and above all, we look forward to following this patient's progress."

About Alpha Tau Medical Ltd.

Founded in 2016, Alpha Tau is an Israeli oncology therapeutics company focused on the research, development, and potential commercialization of the Alpha DaRT for the treatment of solid tumors. The technology was initially developed by Prof. Itzhak Kelson and Prof. Yona Keisari from Tel Aviv University.

About Alpha DaRT®

Alpha DaRT (Diffusing Alpha-emitters Radiation Therapy) is designed to enable highly potent and conformal alpha-irradiation of solid tumors by intratumoral delivery of radium-224 impregnated sources. When the radium decays, its short-lived daughters are released from the sources and disperse while emitting high-energy alpha particles with the goal of destroying the tumor. Since the alpha-emitting atoms diffuse only a short distance, Alpha DaRT aims to primarily affect the tumor and to spare healthy tissue surrounding it. For intracranial use, Alpha DaRT sources are delivered via a specialized stereotactic delivery system that interfaces with standard real-time neuronavigation platforms, enabling precise, image-guided source placement through minimally invasive burr-hole access without requiring open craniotomy.

About the ALL Protocol

The ALL protocol is a broad-access clinical trial conducted at Hadassah University Medical Center in Jerusalem, Israel. The protocol is open to patients with a wide range of solid tumor types to which Alpha DaRT sources can be delivered, who do not qualify for participation in other existing Alpha Tau clinical trials or who have no remaining standard treatment alternatives according to the treating physician. To date, patients have been treated under the ALL protocol across multiple indications, including pancreatic cancer, recurrent glioblastoma, rectal cancer, liver cancer, oral cavity cancer, and skin cancer.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used herein, words including "anticipate," "being," "will," "plan," "may," "continue," and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. In addition, any statements or information that refer to expectations, beliefs, plans, including with respect to clinical trials, the ALL clinical protocol and the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of Alpha DaRT for the treatment of glioblastoma, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking. All forward-looking statements are based upon Alpha Tau's current expectations and various assumptions. Alpha Tau believes there is a reasonable basis for its expectations and beliefs, but they are inherently uncertain. Alpha Tau may not realize its expectations, and its beliefs may not prove correct. Actual results could differ materially from those described or implied by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including, without limitation: (i) Alpha Tau's ability to receive regulatory approval for its Alpha DaRT technology or any future products or product candidates; (ii) Alpha Tau's limited operating history; (iii) Alpha Tau's incurrence of significant losses to date; (iv) Alpha Tau's need for additional funding and ability to raise capital when needed; (v) Alpha Tau's limited experience in medical device discovery and development; (vi) Alpha Tau's dependence on the success and commercialization of the Alpha DaRT technology; (vii) the failure of preliminary data from Alpha Tau's clinical studies to predict final study results; (viii) failure of Alpha Tau's early clinical studies or preclinical studies to predict future clinical studies; (ix) Alpha Tau's ability to enroll patients in its clinical trials; (x) undesirable side effects caused by Alpha Tau's Alpha DaRT technology or any future products or product candidates; (xi) Alpha Tau's exposure to patent infringement lawsuits; (xii) Alpha Tau's ability to comply with the extensive regulations applicable to it; (xiii) the ability to meet Nasdaq's listing standards; (xiv) costs related to being a public company; (xv) changes in applicable laws or regulations; and the other important factors discussed under the caption "Risk Factors" in Alpha Tau's annual report filed on form 20-F with the SEC on March 9, 2026, and other filings that Alpha Tau may make with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. These and other important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release. Any such forward-looking statements represent management's estimates as of the date of this press release. While Alpha Tau may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the future, except as required by law, it disclaims any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause its views to change. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Alpha Tau's views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

Investor Relations Contact:
IR@alphatau.com

https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/06/23/3315968/0/en/Alpha-Tau-Successfully-Treats-First-Recurrent-Glioblastoma-Patient-Outside-of-the-United-States-with-Alpha-DaRT-at-Hadassah-University-Medical-Center-in-Israel.html

u/MarketNewsFlow — 13 days ago