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Pliant Therapeutics, Inc.NasdaqGS:PLRX Stock Report

Market Cap US$76.2m
Share Price
US$1.22
US$2.67
54.3% undervalued intrinsic discount
1Y-15.1%
7D1.6%
Portfolio Value
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Pliant Therapeutics, Inc.

NasdaqGS:PLRX Stock Report

Market Cap: US$76.2m

Pliant Therapeutics (PLRX) Stock Overview

A clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, focuses on discovering and developing integrin-based therapeutics for the treatment of solid tumors. More details

PLRX fundamental analysis
Snowflake Score
Valuation2/6
Future Growth0/6
Past Performance0/6
Financial Health6/6
Dividends0/6

Risk Analysis

Makes less than USD$1m in revenue ($0)

Does not have a meaningful market cap ($76M)

Currently unprofitable and not forecast to become profitable over the next 3 years


PLRX Community Fair Values

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Pliant Therapeutics, Inc. Competitors

Price History & Performance

Summary of share price highs, lows and changes for Pliant Therapeutics
Historical stock prices
Current Share PriceUS$1.24
52 Week HighUS$1.95
52 Week LowUS$1.09
Beta1.21
1 Month Change-5.34%
3 Month Change8.77%
1 Year Change-15.07%
3 Year Change-94.53%
5 Year Change-95.76%
Change since IPO-94.18%

Recent News & Updates

Recent updates

Seeking Alpha • Feb 24

Pliant Therapeutics: A Reverse Arbitrage Opportunity Driven By A Poison Pill Expiration

Summary Pliant Therapeutics trades at a deep discount to net cash after Bexotegrast's Phase 3 failure, with a $70M market cap versus $186M cash. Activist Kevin Tang holds 9.6%; given the 85%+ institutional base, the March 2026 poison pill expiration signals a potential liquidation or premium buyout. PLRX's cash burn has been slashed, extending runway to 2028, but continued independent operation is untenable; forced liquidation or cash privatization is highly likely in my opinion. I exploit negative EV and high implied volatility by selling cash-secured $1.00 puts expiring July 2026, targeting a >50% annualized return with limited downside. Read the full article on Seeking Alpha
Seeking Alpha • Feb 11

Pliant Therapeutics: Strange Volatility

Summary Pliant Therapeutics paused its phase 2b/3 trial of bexotegrast for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis due to DSMB recommendations, causing significant stock volatility. High trading volumes and sharp stock declines occurred before the announcement, indicating potential insider activity, making PLRX highly risky for retail investors. The DSMB's rationale for pausing the trial remains unclear, with no major safety issues previously reported, adding to the uncertainty. PLRX has a cash runway of 5–6 quarters, but faces risks due to volatile stock movements and confusing trial data; I recommend avoiding PLRX. Read the full article on Seeking Alpha
Analysis Article • Jan 02

Pliant Therapeutics (NASDAQ:PLRX) Has Debt But No Earnings; Should You Worry?

Howard Marks put it nicely when he said that, rather than worrying about share price volatility, 'The possibility of...
Analysis Article • Sep 13

Is Pliant Therapeutics (NASDAQ:PLRX) Using Too Much Debt?

Warren Buffett famously said, 'Volatility is far from synonymous with risk.' It's only natural to consider a company's...
Seeking Alpha • Sep 11

Pliant Therapeutics: Good Data, But Will Need Watching

Summary Pliant Therapeutics' stock initially surged, but has since fallen due to mixed trial results and competitive pressures. Bexotegrast showed promising results in IPF and PSC trials, but dose-response inconsistencies and competition raise concerns. Despite positive data, the stock's decline suggests market skepticism, further exacerbated by Novartis ending a partnership. With a cash runway of 5-6 quarters, PLRX needs clarity on regulatory plans and later-stage trial data before making investment decisions. Read the full article on Seeking Alpha
Analysis Article • Jun 07

Should Shareholders Reconsider Pliant Therapeutics, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:PLRX) CEO Compensation Package?

Key Insights Pliant Therapeutics' Annual General Meeting to take place on 13th of June CEO Bernard Coulie's total...
Analysis Article • Feb 27

Is Pliant Therapeutics (NASDAQ:PLRX) Weighed On By Its Debt Load?

David Iben put it well when he said, 'Volatility is not a risk we care about. What we care about is avoiding the...
Analysis Article • Jul 21

Is Pliant Therapeutics (NASDAQ:PLRX) Using Debt Sensibly?

Howard Marks put it nicely when he said that, rather than worrying about share price volatility, 'The possibility of...
Analysis Article • Mar 13

Health Check: How Prudently Does Pliant Therapeutics (NASDAQ:PLRX) Use Debt?

The external fund manager backed by Berkshire Hathaway's Charlie Munger, Li Lu, makes no bones about it when he says...
Analysis Article • Sep 10

Is Pliant Therapeutics (NASDAQ:PLRX) Weighed On By Its Debt Load?

Warren Buffett famously said, 'Volatility is far from synonymous with risk.' So it might be obvious that you need to...
Seeking Alpha • Aug 20

Pliant Therapeutics: Wait For A Better Price To Get In

PLRX went up 200% on strong phase 2a data in IPF. Even a subsequent large dilution was unable to dampen enthusiasm. A better, more derisked price after next year's 320mg data drop will be a good time to buy in. I wrote about a small company named Pliant Therapeutics (PLRX) two years ago. Pliant interested me because despite being an under-the-radar company, it had important collaborations, and it worked in fibrotic diseases. In July, Pliant stock went up after data from a phase 2a trial - designed to test safety and tolerability - also showed the drug’s efficacy in improving forced vital capacity or FVC in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients. Although a trial of only 12 weeks may not be enough to convince scientists, and while there was confusion about dose dependent improvements because a smaller dose showed better efficacy than a higher one, Pliant stock has been on the rise. Data from a higher dosage cohort, coming next year, will help remove the confusion. Interestingly, Pliant’s own CEO once doubted that such a small trial will show FVC improvements. Pliant works in integrin-mediated inhibition of the TGF-β pathway, which reduces fibrosis and is safe. The science is described thus in the 10-K: We believe that tissue-specific inhibition of TGF-β may hold the key to successfully treating fibrosis. In normal tissues, TGF-β is activated in response to tissue injury which initiates a cascade that results in collagen production and, ultimately, scar formation to heal the tissue. In fibrosis, however, TGF-β signaling becomes dysregulated, with TGF-β being continuously activated, leading to excess collagen deposition, even in the absence of acute tissue injury. TGF-β, while implicated in fibrosis pathophysiology, is expressed, and intermittently activated across all tissue types and plays important, contextspecific roles in tissue homeostasis. Therefore, TGF-β cannot be blocked systemically without disrupting these homeostatic functions and causing significant toxicities. To treat fibrosis more precisely in specific tissues, we believe it is crucial to discover and treat the underlying mechanism causing excess TGF-β activation. Our scientific founders are pioneers in elucidating the role of specific extracellular receptors known as integrins as a key element in the activation of TGF-β. The company is running trials in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis or IPF and Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis or PSC. The product candidate is called PLN-74809. These are ongoing phase 2a trials with data to topline next year. Another candidate, PLN-1474, is being developed for NASH-Associated Liver Fibrosis in collaboration with Novartis (NVS). This year, the company announced data from a proof of concept trial. From the 10-K: In February 2022, we announced positive results from an expanded PLN-74809 Phase 1b proof-of-mechanism trial. This study evaluated PLN74809's ability to suppress TGF-β activation in the lungs of healthy volunteers as measured through relative pSmad2 levels in alveolar macrophages collected through bronchioalveolar lavage ((BAL)) at 6 hours and 24 hours after the last dose. The trial was conducted in two parts. Part 1 evaluated PLN-74809 at doses of 80 mg and 160 mg versus placebo and Part 2 evaluated PLN-74809 at 320 mg versus placebo. PLN-74809 demonstrated clear evidence of on-target biological activity in the lungs of healthy participants. Results showed that PLN-74809 inhibited TGF-β activation by up to 92% and 76% at 6- and 24-hours, respectively, following dosing. PLN-74809 was well tolerated with mostly mild adverse events, and no severe adverse events. There was no dose relationship associated with adverse events, no serious adverse events (SAEs) and no treatment discontinuations due to adverse events. This trial further defines the relationship between plasma exposure of PLN-74809 and TGF-β inhibition in the lung and will guide dose selection in future trials.
Seeking Alpha • Aug 08

Pliant Therapeutics GAAP EPS of -$0.82 misses by $0.01, revenue of $4.99M

Pliant Therapeutics press release (NASDAQ:PLRX): Q2 GAAP EPS of -$0.82 misses by $0.01. Revenue of $4.99M (+178.8% Y/Y).
Analysis Article • Jul 28

Is Pliant Therapeutics (NASDAQ:PLRX) In A Good Position To Deliver On Growth Plans?

Even when a business is losing money, it's possible for shareholders to make money if they buy a good business at the...
Seeking Alpha • Jul 21

Pliant's PLN-74809 gets FDA fast track status for liver disease

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted fast track designation to Pliant Therapeutics' (NASDAQ:PLRX) PLN-74809 to treat primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). PSC is a chronic liver disease in which the bile ducts — which carry the digestive fluid from the liver to the small intestine — become inflamed and scarred causing them to become hard and narrow leading to liver damage. People with PSC may also also have inflammatory bowel disease. The company said PLN-74809 is currently being tested as part of a phase 2a trial called  INTEGRIS-PSC, data from which is expected in H1 2023. PLRX +2.44% to $20.17 premarket July 21
Seeking Alpha • Jul 11

Pliant climbs 48% as mid-stage trial for lung disease therapy meets key goals

The shares of clinical-stage biopharma Pliant Therapeutics (NASDAQ:PLRX) gained ~48% in the pre-market Monday after the company announced its mid-stage trial for PLN-74809 in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) reached key goals. The 90-patient Phase 2a multinational study met its primary and secondary endpoints indicating that the study drug was well tolerated over 12 weeks of treatment with a favorable pharmacokinetic profile, the company said. According to data, PLN-74809 demonstrated dose-dependent effects on forced vital capacity (FVC) and Quantitative Lung Fibrosis (QLF) imaging compared to placebo over 12 weeks. The drug was found to be safe across all three doses of 40 mg, 80 mg, and 160 mg, with 97% in the 67-patient active arm completing the treatment with no discontinuations due to adverse events, according to Pliant (PLRX). In the near-term, the company plans to submit the data to regulators targeting the late-stage development of PLN-74809. According to Seeking Alpha contributor Terry Chrisomalis, a major catalyst awaits Pliant (PLRX) investors in early next year.
Seeking Alpha • Jun 03

Pliant: Major Catalyst Expected Beginning Of 2023

Results from the phase 2a INTEGRIS-PSC study using PLN-74809 for the treatment of patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis are expected 1st half of 2023. PLN-74809 is also being explored for the treatment of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis; Preliminary safety and efficacy data was released in 5 poster presentations at medical conference. The global idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis market is expected to reach $4.7 billion by 2027. Other indications in the pipeline include NASH fibrosis, Oncology targets and muscular dystrophy as well which de-risk the pipeline.
Analysis Article • Apr 22

We're Keeping An Eye On Pliant Therapeutics' (NASDAQ:PLRX) Cash Burn Rate

We can readily understand why investors are attracted to unprofitable companies. For example, although...

Shareholder Returns

PLRXUS PharmaceuticalsUS Market
7D1.6%-1.9%2.1%
1Y-15.1%33.3%30.6%

Return vs Industry: PLRX underperformed the US Pharmaceuticals industry which returned 33.4% over the past year.

Return vs Market: PLRX underperformed the US Market which returned 31% over the past year.

Price Volatility

Is PLRX's price volatile compared to industry and market?
PLRX volatility
PLRX Average Weekly Movement7.0%
Pharmaceuticals Industry Average Movement9.8%
Market Average Movement7.2%
10% most volatile stocks in US Market16.1%
10% least volatile stocks in US Market3.2%

Stable Share Price: PLRX has not had significant price volatility in the past 3 months compared to the US market.

Volatility Over Time: PLRX's weekly volatility (7%) has been stable over the past year.

About the Company

FoundedEmployeesCEOWebsite
201549Bernard Couliepliantrx.com

Pliant Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, focuses on discovering and developing integrin-based therapeutics for the treatment of solid tumors. The company’s lead product candidate is the PLN-101095, an oral, small molecule dual inhibitor of avß8 and avß1 integrins that is in Phase 1a/1b for the treatment of solid tumors. It is also developing drug discovery platform comprising proprietary library of over 15,000 integrin binding molecules, focusing on integrin-based target-mediated drug delivery.

Pliant Therapeutics, Inc. Fundamentals Summary

How do Pliant Therapeutics's earnings and revenue compare to its market cap?
PLRX fundamental statistics
Market capUS$76.16m
Earnings (TTM)-US$149.34m
Revenue (TTM)n/a
0.0x
P/S Ratio
-0.5x
P/E Ratio

Is PLRX overvalued?

See Fair Value and valuation analysis

Earnings & Revenue

Key profitability statistics from the latest earnings report (TTM)
PLRX income statement (TTM)
RevenueUS$0
Cost of RevenueUS$0
Gross ProfitUS$0
Other ExpensesUS$149.34m
Earnings-US$149.34m

Last Reported Earnings

Dec 31, 2025

Next Earnings Date

n/a

Earnings per share (EPS)-2.41
Gross Margin0.00%
Net Profit Margin0.00%
Debt/Equity Ratio0%

How did PLRX perform over the long term?

See historical performance and comparison

Company Analysis and Financial Data Status

DataLast Updated (UTC time)
Company Analysis2026/05/07 12:14
End of Day Share Price 2026/05/07 00:00
Earnings2025/12/31
Annual Earnings2025/12/31

Data Sources

The data used in our company analysis is from S&P Global Market Intelligence LLC. The following data is used in our analysis model to generate this report. Data is normalised which can introduce a delay from the source being available.

PackageDataTimeframeExample US Source *
Company Financials10 years
  • Income statement
  • Cash flow statement
  • Balance sheet
Analyst Consensus Estimates+3 years
  • Forecast financials
  • Analyst price targets
Market Prices30 years
  • Stock prices
  • Dividends, Splits and Actions
Ownership10 years
  • Top shareholders
  • Insider trading
Management10 years
  • Leadership team
  • Board of directors
Key Developments10 years
  • Company announcements

* Example for US securities, for non-US equivalent regulatory forms and sources are used.

Unless specified all financial data is based on a yearly period but updated quarterly. This is known as Trailing Twelve Month (TTM) or Last Twelve Month (LTM) Data. Learn more.

Analysis Model and Snowflake

Details of the analysis model used to generate this report is available on our Github page, we also have guides on how to use our reports and tutorials on Youtube.

Learn about the world class team who designed and built the Simply Wall St analysis model.

Industry and Sector Metrics

Our industry and section metrics are calculated every 6 hours by Simply Wall St, details of our process are available on Github.

Analyst Sources

Pliant Therapeutics, Inc. is covered by 13 analysts. 6 of those analysts submitted the estimates of revenue or earnings used as inputs to our report. Analysts submissions are updated throughout the day.

AnalystInstitution
Edward NashCanaccord Genuity
David LebowitzCitigroup Inc
Lut Ming ChengJ.P. Morgan