Recursion Pharmaceuticals Reports Positive Phase 1b/2 TUPELO Trial Results, Validating AI-Driven Therapy for FAP

Recursion Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:RXRX) is one of the AI stocks under $20 to buy now. On December 8, Recursion Pharmaceuticals announced positive Phase 1b/2 results from its ongoing TUPELO trial evaluating REC-4881, which is a first-in-class allosteric MEK1/2 inhibitor for Familial Adenomatous Polyposis/FAP. FAP is a hereditary condition affecting over 50,000 people in the US and EU5, characterized by a near 100% lifetime risk of colorectal cancer due to APC gene mutations.

The trial showed that REC-4881 achieved rapid clinical activity and significant durability of effect after treatment cessation. The findings suggested that REC-4881 not only shrinks existing polyps but may provide a sustained therapeutic benefit that halts the typically relentless progression of the disease. REC-4881 was discovered using the Recursion OS, which used AI-driven cellular phenomics to identify MEK1/2 inhibition as a rescue mechanism for APC loss-of-function. Originally evaluated by Takeda for solid tumors, the drug was in-licensed by Recursion Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:RXRX) specifically for FAP based on these AI insights.

The safety profile observed in the TUPELO trial remains consistent with the known effects of MEK inhibition. While 94.7% of the 19 safety-evaluable patients reported a treatment-related adverse event, most commonly skin rash or increased blood CPK, the majority were Grade 1 or 2. Only 15.8% experienced Grade 3 events, and there have been no Grade 4 or 5 TRAEs reported to date. Recursion Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:RXRX) now intends to engage with the FDA in H1 2026 to define a potential registration pathway for the drug. The company is also expanding the trial’s eligibility criteria, lowering the minimum age from 55 to 18 years old, to address the younger population most severely impacted by FAP-related surgeries.

Recursion Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:RXRX) operates as a clinical-stage biotech company that decodes biology and chemistry by integrating technological innovations across biology, chemistry, automation, data science, and engineering to industrialize drug discovery in the US. The company has replaced human-led hypothesis testing with an AI-integrated operating system.

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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.