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Exicure Inc (XCUR)



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Upturn Advisory Summary
06/30/2025: XCUR (1-star) is currently NOT-A-BUY. Pass it for now.
1 Year Target Price $2
1 Year Target Price $2
2 | Strong Buy |
2 | Buy |
0 | Hold |
0 | Sell |
0 | Strong Sell |
Analysis of Past Performance
Type Stock | Historic Profit -13.46% | Avg. Invested days 40 | Today’s Advisory PASS |
Upturn Star Rating ![]() ![]() | Upturn Advisory Performance ![]() | Stock Returns Performance ![]() |
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Key Highlights
Company Size Small-Cap Stock | Market Capitalization 44.48M USD | Price to earnings Ratio - | 1Y Target Price 2 |
Price to earnings Ratio - | 1Y Target Price 2 | ||
Volume (30-day avg) 4 | Beta 3.73 | 52 Weeks Range 1.44 - 36.00 | Updated Date 06/30/2025 |
52 Weeks Range 1.44 - 36.00 | Updated Date 06/30/2025 | ||
Dividends yield (FY) - | Basic EPS (TTM) -5.75 |
Earnings Date
Report Date 2025-06-04 | When After Market | Estimate - | Actual - |
Profitability
Profit Margin - | Operating Margin (TTM) - |
Management Effectiveness
Return on Assets (TTM) -28.42% | Return on Equity (TTM) -86.28% |
Valuation
Trailing PE - | Forward PE - | Enterprise Value 34423397 | Price to Sales(TTM) 74.42 |
Enterprise Value 34423397 | Price to Sales(TTM) 74.42 | ||
Enterprise Value to Revenue 27.17 | Enterprise Value to EBITDA -0.04 | Shares Outstanding 6317770 | Shares Floating 2395825 |
Shares Outstanding 6317770 | Shares Floating 2395825 | ||
Percent Insiders 75.66 | Percent Institutions 5.27 |
Analyst Ratings
Rating 2 | Target Price 2 | Buy 2 | Strong Buy 2 |
Buy 2 | Strong Buy 2 | ||
Hold - | Sell - | Strong Sell - | |
Strong Sell - |
Upturn AI SWOT
Exicure Inc

Company Overview
History and Background
Exicure Inc. was a biotechnology company founded in 2011. It focused on developing therapeutic treatments for neurological disorders and immuno-oncology using its proprietary Spherical Nucleic Acid (SNA) technology. The company's history includes research collaborations, clinical trials, and fundraising efforts. Exicure voluntarily delisted from the Nasdaq in June 2023 and subsequently ceased operations.
Core Business Areas
- Neurology: Exicure focused on developing therapies for neurological disorders, including Huntington's disease and Angelman syndrome.
- Immuno-oncology: The company was developing treatments that stimulate the immune system to fight cancer using its SNA technology.
Leadership and Structure
At the time of its operation, Exicure had a typical biotech leadership structure including a CEO, CFO, CSO, and board of directors. It had research and development teams focused on SNA-based therapeutics.
Top Products and Market Share
Key Offerings
- Cavrotolimod (AST-008): This was Exicure's lead immuno-oncology candidate designed to activate the STING pathway in tumors. It was in Phase 1b/2 clinical trials. There is no specific publicly available market share data or revenue figures for AST-008 due to it being in clinical development. Competitors in the immuno-oncology space are numerous including Merck (MRK), Bristol Myers Squibb (BMY), and Roche (ROG.SW).
- XCUR-FXN: This was a preclinical stage candidate for Friedreich's Ataxia. There are no specific publicly available market share data or revenue figures for XCUR-FXN due to it being in preclinical stage. Competitors depend on modality but can include companies working on gene therapies for FA such as PTC Therapeutics (PTCT).
Market Dynamics
Industry Overview
The biotechnology industry is highly competitive and innovative, characterized by significant R&D investments, regulatory hurdles, and potential for high rewards. Immuno-oncology and neurological disease therapies represent major growth areas.
Positioning
Exicure aimed to carve a niche in both immuno-oncology and neurological disorders using its SNA technology, but did not have a commercialized product. It was a smaller player compared to larger pharmaceutical companies.
Total Addressable Market (TAM)
The TAM for cancer therapeutics and neurological disease treatment is estimated to be in the hundreds of billions of dollars. Exicure was aiming to capture a portion of this market with its innovative SNA technology but did not manage to make it through the clinical trials to commercialization.
Upturn SWOT Analysis
Strengths
- Proprietary Spherical Nucleic Acid (SNA) technology
- Potential for targeted drug delivery
- Focus on difficult-to-treat diseases
- Early-stage clinical trial data showing promise
Weaknesses
- Lack of commercialized products
- Dependence on successful clinical trial outcomes
- High cash burn rate
- Small company size relative to competitors
- Voluntary delisting from Nasdaq and cessation of operations
Opportunities
- Partnerships with larger pharmaceutical companies (no longer applicable due to cessation of operations)
- Expansion of SNA technology to new therapeutic areas (no longer applicable due to cessation of operations)
- Positive clinical trial results (no longer applicable due to cessation of operations)
- Advancements in nucleic acid therapeutics (no longer applicable due to cessation of operations)
Threats
- Clinical trial failures
- Competition from established pharmaceutical companies
- Regulatory hurdles
- Patent infringement (no longer applicable due to cessation of operations)
- Funding challenges
Competitors and Market Share
Key Competitors
- Merck (MRK)
- Bristol Myers Squibb (BMY)
- Roche (ROG.SW)
- PTC Therapeutics (PTCT)
Competitive Landscape
Exicure was a smaller player with a novel technology but faced intense competition from established pharmaceutical companies.
Growth Trajectory and Initiatives
Historical Growth: Exicure's historical growth was limited due to its stage as a development-stage biotech company.
Future Projections: Due to the company ceasing operations, there are no future projections.
Recent Initiatives: Recent initiatives focused on advancing its clinical trials, however, these are no longer active.
Summary
Exicure Inc., a biotechnology company that focused on developing SNA therapeutics for neurological disorders and immuno-oncology, voluntarily delisted from the Nasdaq and ceased operations. The company faced numerous challenges including clinical trial hurdles, financial constraints, and intense competition, preventing it from bringing any products to market. The lack of commercialized products and continued operating losses led to the company's eventual downfall. The firm had some potential in its early stage, but it could not compete with big pharma.
Peer Comparison
Sources and Disclaimers
Data Sources:
- SEC Filings (historical)
- Company Website (historical)
- Press Releases (historical)
- Analyst Reports (historical)
Disclaimers:
This analysis is based on publicly available information and historical data. Exicure Inc. is no longer operating, therefore, forward-looking statements are not applicable. Market share data is approximate and based on the broader market segments in which Exicure aimed to compete. The AI-based rating is for informational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice.
AI Summarization is directionally correct and might not be accurate.
Summarized information shown could be a few years old and not current.
Fundamental Rating based on AI could be based on old data.
AI-generated summaries may have inaccuracies (hallucinations). Please verify the information before taking action.
About Exicure Inc
Exchange NASDAQ | Headquaters Redwood City, CA, United States | ||
IPO Launch date 2018-05-22 | CEO, President & Director Mr. Andy Yoo | ||
Sector Healthcare | Industry Biotechnology | Full time employees 7 | Website https://www.exicuretx.com |
Full time employees 7 | Website https://www.exicuretx.com |
Exicure, Inc. does not have significant operations. Previously, the company focused on developing of nucleic acid therapies targeting ribonucleic acid against validated targets. Exicure, Inc. was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in Redwood City, California.
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