Aprea Therapeutics extends cash runway to 2028 on private placement

Aprea Therapeutics (NASDAQ:APRE) announced Wednesday that it ended the first quarter with $46.5 million in cash and cash equivalents, a sharp increase from the end of 2025.

The capital influx, driven by an oversubscribed private placement that closed March 31, arrives as the company prioritizes the expansion of its lead candidate, APR-1051.

In its Phase 1 ACESOT-1051 trial, Aprea reported that out of 28 treated patients, two achieved partial responses and six demonstrated stable disease.

The company noted the WEE1 inhibitor has been well-tolerated thus far, clearing the way for an expanded enrollment phase.

Aprea now intends to recruit at least 50 patients with uterine serous carcinoma and additional cohorts of ovarian cancer patients to further validate the drug’s performance in biomarker-defined populations.

While the WEE1 program gains momentum, the company has paused its ABOYA-119 trial for ATR inhibitor ATRN-119.

Management indicated the pause is strategic, allowing the firm to evaluate combination therapy strategies rather than continuing with monotherapy.

Financially, Aprea’s first-quarter performance showed operational stabilization.

The company reported a net loss of $3.3 million, or $0.22 per share, compared with a net loss of $3.9 million, or $0.66 per share, in the same period last year.

Operating losses also improved to $3.4 million, down from $4.1 million year-over-year, reflecting disciplined spending as the company streamlines its clinical pipeline.