Nuvalent, Inc. (Nasdaq: NUVL), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing precisely targeted cancer therapies, is advancing toward key regulatory milestones for its lead drug candidates in 2025, with plans to submit its first New Drug Application (NDA) by mid-year.
The company's pipeline is led by two novel kinase inhibitors targeting genetic alterations in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): zidesamtinib for ROS1-positive tumors and neladalkib for ALK-positive tumors. Both programs are progressing through late-stage clinical development with pivotal data readouts expected this year.
Zidesamtinib: Advancing Toward First NDA Submission
Nuvalent's lead candidate, zidesamtinib, is being evaluated in the ARROS-1 Phase 1/2 trial for patients with advanced ROS1-positive NSCLC and other solid tumors. The company expects to report pivotal data for TKI pre-treated patients with ROS1-positive NSCLC in the first half of 2025, supporting an anticipated NDA submission by mid-year.
"The efficient execution by the Nuvalent team to date reflects a shared sense of urgency driven by patient need for additional treatment options – a need that we believe has been clearly demonstrated by the robust enrollment momentum in our ARROS-1 and ALKOVE-1 trials," said Darlene Noci, A.L.M., Chief Development Officer at Nuvalent.
As of December 2024, the ARROS-1 trial had enrolled 430 patients across its Phase 1 and Phase 2 portions. The trial is designed with registrational intent for both TKI pre-treated and TKI-naïve patients with advanced ROS1-positive NSCLC.
Recent preclinical data published in Molecular Cancer Therapeutics reinforced zidesamtinib's molecular design as a novel ROS1-selective inhibitor. The publication included the first crystal structure of ROS1 G2032R in complex with zidesamtinib, providing structural insights into how this common resistance mutation affects TKI binding. The data showed that at clinically relevant concentrations, zidesamtinib suppressed on-target resistance in mutagenesis screens and inhibited ROS1 G2032R brain tumors more effectively than other ROS1 TKIs evaluated.
Neladalkib: Dual Development Strategy for ALK-Positive NSCLC
Nuvalent's ALK inhibitor neladalkib is being evaluated in the ALKOVE-1 Phase 1/2 trial, which had enrolled 596 patients as of December 2024. The company expects to report pivotal data for TKI pre-treated patients with ALK-positive NSCLC by the end of 2025.
In parallel, Nuvalent is preparing to initiate the ALKAZAR Phase 3 trial in the first half of 2025, representing its front-line development strategy for ALK-positive NSCLC. This global, randomized, controlled trial will evaluate neladalkib versus the current standard of care, ALECENSA® (alectinib), for patients with TKI-naïve ALK-positive NSCLC. Patients will be randomized 1:1 between the two treatment arms.
New preclinical data presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting demonstrated that neladalkib suppressed resistance in mutagenesis screens simulating both first-line and later-line treatment scenarios.
The company will present a "Trial in Progress" poster including background and study design for ALKAZAR at the upcoming 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting.
Expanded Access Programs Established
Recognizing the urgent need for treatment options, Nuvalent has implemented global Expanded Access Programs (EAPs) for both zidesamtinib and neladalkib. These programs are designed for eligible patients with locally advanced or metastatic ROS1-positive or ALK-positive NSCLC who have previously received appropriate TKI therapy, lack satisfactory therapeutic alternatives, and are unable to access these investigational therapies through clinical trials.
"In parallel to advancing initial registration paths for zidesamtinib and neladalkib for TKI pre-treated patients, we continue to work with regulators towards our goal of bringing new therapies to all patients with ROS1-positive or ALK-positive NSCLC," noted Noci.
HER2 Program Advancing in Early Clinical Development
Beyond its lead programs, Nuvalent is advancing NVL-330, a novel HER2-selective inhibitor, in the HEROEX-1 Phase 1a/1b trial for pre-treated patients with HER2-altered NSCLC. The study is evaluating safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary anti-tumor activity, with the goal of determining a recommended Phase 2 dose. A "Trial in Progress" poster for HEROEX-1 will also be presented at the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting.
Leadership Strengthened Through Key Promotions
As Nuvalent transitions toward becoming a commercial-stage company, it has strengthened its leadership team with several key promotions:
- Ruth Adams has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Clinical Operations, recognizing her excellence in overseeing global clinical trial execution
- Dr. Joshua Horan has been elevated to Senior Vice President, Chemistry, acknowledging his leadership in the discovery chemistry program that has generated three novel drug candidates
- Jessie Lin has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy & Portfolio Management, recognizing her role in shaping Nuvalent's strategic growth
"2025 is a critical year of execution for Nuvalent as we continue to transition toward becoming a fully integrated commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company," said James Porter, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer at Nuvalent. "The continued progress across our portfolio is a direct reflection of the strength and dedication of our team—it is their deep expertise, operational excellence, and commitment to patients that drive our ability to execute."
Strong Financial Position
Nuvalent reported a solid financial foundation with $1.1 billion in cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities as of March 31, 2025. The company believes these resources will be sufficient to fund its current operating plan into 2028, providing runway through multiple potential product approvals and commercial launches.
For the first quarter of 2025, Nuvalent reported research and development expenses of $74.4 million and general and administrative expenses of $20.4 million, with a net loss of $84.6 million.
"As we transition towards becoming a fully integrated commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company, we reiterate our commitment to meeting the medical needs of patients by advancing our programs as quickly as possible," Porter emphasized. "With a steady cadence of anticipated milestones across our pipeline this year, a strong balance sheet, and a dedicated and proven team at the helm, we believe we are well-positioned to deliver on our near-, mid- and long-term goals."
