Aravive Added to the Russell 2000® and Russell 3000® Indexes

Rhea-AI Summary

Aravive, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARAV) announced its inclusion in the Russell 2000® and Russell 3000® Indexes, effective June 29, 2020. This marks a significant milestone for the clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, which is focused on developing treatments for cancer and fibrosis. CEO Gail McIntyre stated that this inclusion is expected to enhance the company's visibility and positively impact stock liquidity. The Russell indexes are utilized by approximately $9 trillion in assets, indicating the potential for increased interest from institutional investors.

Positive

• Inclusion in Russell 2000® and Russell 3000® Indexes enhances visibility.
• Potential for increased stock liquidity due to index inclusion.
• Index recognition could attract institutional investment.

Negative

• None.

HOUSTON, June 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aravive, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARAV), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing treatments designed to halt the progression of life-threatening diseases, including cancer and fibrosis, today announced that the Company has been added to the Russell 2000^® and Russell 3000^® Indexes, effective June 29, 2020, as part of the 2020 Russell U.S. indexes reconstitution.

“Our inclusion in the Russell indexes reflects the meaningful progress we have made toward our goal of changing the treatment paradigm for people living with cancer,” said Gail McIntyre, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Aravive. “We believe our inclusion will enhance Aravive’s visibility within the investment community and have a positive impact on the liquidity of our stock.”

Russell indexes are widely used by investment managers and institutional investors for index funds and as benchmarks for active investment strategies. Approximately $9 trillion in assets are benchmarked against Russell’s U.S. indexes. Russell indexes are part of FTSE Russell, a leading global index provider. For more information on the Russell 2000^® and Russell 3000^® Indexes and the Russell indexes reconstitution, go to the “Russell Reconstitution” section on the FTSE Russell website.

About Aravive
Aravive, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARAV) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing treatments designed to halt the progression of life-threatening diseases, including cancer and fibrosis. Aravive’s lead product candidate, AVB-500, is an ultra-high affinity decoy protein that targets the GAS6-AXL signaling pathway. By capturing serum GAS6, AVB-500 starves the AXL pathway of its signal, potentially halting the biological programming that promotes disease progression. AXL receptor signaling plays an important role in multiple types of malignancies by promoting metastasis, cancer cell survival, resistance to treatments, and immune suppression. The GAS6-AXL signaling pathway also plays a significant role in fibrogenesis. Aravive is actively evaluating AVB-500 in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer and clear cell renal cell carcinoma and intends to expand development into additional oncology indications. Aravive is based in Houston, Texas and received a Product Development Award from the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) in 2016. For more information, please visit www.aravive.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 on our current expectations and projections about future events. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “may,” “should,” “potential,” “continue,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” and similar expressions, and include statements such as the inclusion in the Russell 2000^® and Russell 3000^® enhancing the Company’s visibility within the investment community and having a positive impact on the liquidity of its stock and the expansion of the development of AVB-500 into additional oncology and fibrotic indications. Forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs and assumptions, are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, risks and uncertainties related to: the impact of the inclusion in the Russell 2000^® and Russell 3000^® of the Russell, the ability to properly fund the Company, the ability of the directors and management team to deliver on the Company’s strategic vision and execute on its business plan, the impact of COVID-19 on the Company’s clinical strategy and fundraising, the Company’s ability to expand development into additional oncology and fibrotic indications, the Company’s dependence upon AVB-500, AVB-500’s ability to have favorable results in clinical trials, the clinical trials of AVB-500 having results that are as favorable as those of preclinical and clinical studies, the ability to receive regulatory approval, potential delays in the Company's clinical trials due to regulatory requirements or difficulty identifying qualified investigators or enrolling patients especially in light of the COVID-19 outbreak; the risk that AVB-500 may cause serious side effects or have properties that delay or prevent regulatory approval or limit its commercial potential; the risk that the Company may encounter difficulties in manufacturing AVB-500; if AVB-500 is approved, risks associated with its market acceptance, including pricing and reimbursement; potential difficulties enforcing the Company's intellectual property rights; the Company's reliance on its licensor of intellectual property and financing needs. The foregoing review of important factors that could cause actual events to differ from expectations should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with statements that are included herein and elsewhere, including the risk factors included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, recent Current Reports on Form 8-K and subsequent filings with the SEC. Except as required by applicable law, the Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement, or to make any other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Contacts:
Media:
Sheryl Seapy, W2O
sseapy@w2ogroup.com
(213) 262-9390

Investors:
Luke Heagle, W2O 
lheagle@w2ogroup.com
(910) 726-1372

FAQ

What does the inclusion of Aravive in the Russell 2000® Index mean for investors?

The inclusion indicates increased visibility and potential liquidity for Aravive's stock, attracting institutional investors.

When did Aravive join the Russell 2000® and Russell 3000® Indexes?

Aravive was added to the Russell 2000® and Russell 3000® Indexes effective June 29, 2020.

How may the Russell index inclusion impact Aravive's stock performance?

The Russell index inclusion may enhance liquidity and encourage more institutional investment, potentially improving stock performance.

What is Aravive's primary focus as a biopharmaceutical company?

Aravive focuses on developing treatments aimed at halting the progression of life-threatening diseases, particularly cancer and fibrosis.