Aktis Oncology has set a high bar for the 2026 biotech financial calendar by raising $318 million in its initial public offering on January 8. This marks the first biotechnology IPO of the year and represents a significant expansion of the company’s initial fundraising goals.
Key highlights of the market debut include:
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Pricing and Participation: The firm priced 17.65 million shares at $18 each. The offering’s size was bolstered by a $100 million investment from Eli Lilly, a long-term partner of the cancer-focused drugmaker, which accounted for one-third of the total shares sold.
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Innovative Platform: Aktis specializes in “small protein radioconjugates” designed to hit tumor targets that have previously been considered inaccessible to standard radiopharmaceutical treatments.
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Pipeline Development:
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AKY-1189: The lead candidate targets Nectin-4, with initial clinical data expected in the first quarter of 2027.
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AKY-2519: A secondary experimental drug aimed at B7-H3, a protein associated with resistance to traditional immunotherapy.
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Industry Context: This listing ranks as the third-largest biotech IPO since early 2024. It underscores the continued appetite of major pharmaceutical players for precision oncology assets, following a trend of high-profile acquisitions in the radiopharmaceutical space.
The company is scheduled to begin trading on the Nasdaq stock exchange under the ticker symbol “AKTS.”