Exicure (NASDAQ: XCUR), a clinical-stage biotechnology company specializing in next-generation stem-cell mobilization therapies, has staged a massive rally as investors reacted to the company’s new breakthrough products.
Ahead of the market open on December 9, XCUR shares surged 70% in pre-market trading to about $9. The spike followed months of steep declines, with the stock closing the previous session at $5.33, down 64.89% year to date.
The early-morning rally was driven by promising new Phase 2 results for burixafor, Exicure’s investigational small-molecule CXCR4 inhibitor designed to rapidly mobilize hematopoietic progenitor cells in multiple myeloma patients preparing for autologous transplantation.
The company reported that nearly 90% of participants in the trial reached the required CD34+ cell thresholds within two leukapheresis sessions when treated with burixafor in combination with propranolol and G-CSF.
Data presented at the American Society of Hematology meeting also showed that the therapy remained effective in patients previously treated with daratumumab, a group that typically experiences lower mobilization success. Burixafor’s rapid activity, with peak CD34+ cell levels appearing within an hour, further distinguished it from other drugs in the same class.
Exicure institutional ownership
As traders reacted to the breakthrough data, attention also shifted to Exicure’s institutional shareholder base.
Despite being a small company that had been largely overlooked during its prolonged decline, it still appears in the portfolios of major investment firms.
BlackRock (NYSE: BLK), the world’s largest asset manager, held 5,730 shares as of September 30, 2025.
Though modest in size, BlackRock’s position sits alongside other institutional holders, including Carlyle Group, Vanguard, Geode Capital Management, and UBS Group, reinforcing that the stock has maintained a footprint among professional investors despite its volatile year.
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