** Shares of drug developer Apogee Therapeutics APGE.O rise 35.9% to $64.50 premarket

** Company says its experimental drug met main goal in a mid-stage study to treat patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD)

** AD, or eczema, is a chronic disease that causes inflammation, redness and irritation of skin

** Company says the drug, APG777, showed high response rate with a 71% reduction in eczema severity, compared with placebo of 33.8% at week 16 in part-A of the mid-stage study

** Company expects to share the 280-patient study data from part-B in mid-2026

** As of last close, stock up 4.77% YTD

(Reporting by Siddhi Mahatole)

((siddhi.mahatole@thomsonreuters.com))