Celcuity Stock Soars 700% in a Year as One Investor's $17 Million Buy Helps Create Top Two Position

On February 17, 2026, Perceptive Advisors reported a buy of Celcuity (CELC 1.98%), adding 203,881 shares in the fourth quarter, with an estimated transaction value of $16.76 million based on quarterly average pricing.

What happened

According to a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing dated February 17, 2026, Perceptive Advisors increased its stake in Celcuity by 203,881 shares in the fourth quarter. The estimated value of this share purchase, based on the period’s average closing price, is $16.76 million. The value of the fund’s position increased by $169.16 million over the quarter, a figure that reflects both the additional shares and price appreciation.

What else to know

• Perceptive Advisors’ Celcuity stake rose to 5.62% of reported AUM after the buy.
• Top five holdings post-filing:
  • NASDAQ:PRAX: $588.30 million (10.8% of AUM)
  • NASDAQ:CELC: $315.20 million (5.8% of AUM)
  • NASDAQ:RYTM: $272.57 million (5.0% of AUM)
  • NASDAQ:ASND: $230.60 million (4.2% of AUM)
  • NASDAQ:ROIV: $173.28 million (3.2% of AUM)
• As of February 17, 2026, Celcuity shares were priced at $107.32, up a staggering 700% over the past year.

Company overview

Company snapshot

• Celcuity develops molecularly targeted therapies and diagnostic platforms for cancer, including its lead drug candidate Gedatolisib and the CELsignia diagnostic test.
• The company operates a clinical-stage biotechnology model, generating value through the advancement of proprietary drug candidates and diagnostic technologies, with future revenue expected from licensing, partnerships, and eventual commercialization.
• Primary customers include healthcare providers, oncologists, and biopharmaceutical partners focused on treating hormone receptor positive, HER2-negative, and advanced or metastatic breast cancer patients in the United States.

Celcuity is a clinical-stage biotechnology company specializing in the development of targeted cancer therapies and companion diagnostics. The company leverages its proprietary CELsignia platform and pipeline drug Gedatolisib to address unmet needs in oncology, particularly for breast and ovarian cancer. Its strategy centers on innovative diagnostic and therapeutic solutions, supported by a license agreement with Pfizer, positioning Celcuity to capitalize on advancements in precision medicine.

What this transaction means for investors

Capital tends to cluster around inflection points, and when a specialist biotech investor builds a position to more than 5% of assets in a name that has already surged 700% in a year, it suggests conviction that the real catalyst is still ahead.

Celcuity’s New Drug Application for gedatolisib has been accepted by the FDA, the firm announced in January, with Priority Review and a PDUFA goal date of July 17, 2026. The filing is based on Phase 3 data from the VIKTORIA-1 trial in HR positive, HER2 negative, PIK3CA wild-type advanced breast cancer. Gedatolisib has also received Breakthrough Therapy and Fast Track designations.

That regulatory timeline matters. It compresses uncertainty into a defined window. If approved, gedatolisib would enter a sizable breast cancer market with a differentiated pan-PI3K and mTORC1/2 mechanism.

At 5.6% of AUM, this is no token allocation. It sits just behind Praxis and ahead of several other core holdings. Long-term investors should watch execution into the July decision and commercialization readiness. A 700% run is dramatic, but in biotech, value is ultimately tied to label breadth and uptake. The next chapter will hinge on both.