STEM Gains on Anticipation of Interim Trial Data to be Presented Monday

Stem Cells Inc, (NASDAQ:STEM), developer of stem cell-based treatments for spinal injuries, is up for the second day in a row Friday in pre-market trading after it closed Thursday at $1.96, a 19% gain on the day. The gains came after the company announced that it will be presenting data from its Phase I/II clinical trial on Monday, Sept. 3 at the International Spinal Cord Society and will hold a conference call the following day. Trading volume Thursday was three times its 3-month average. The presentation will include interim data from the study’s first cohort of three partially-paralyzed patients being treated with STEM’s proprietary HuCNS-SC cells. Researchers are looking for efficacy – measured by improvement in motor function, sensation, and bladder control – and safety in the first of three planned cohorts, each with more mild paralysis than the previous. Share price is likely to remain strong on Friday and into the meeting, as most analysts expect some positive results from the trial. If Monday’s data looks good for STEM, shares may climb higher on momentum, however, negative results will have disastrous effects on the stock. STEM is up 140% in 2012.