** Cancer drug developer Aura Biosciences' AURA.O shares rise as much as 9.8%; last up 7.3% at $5.26

** AURA announces pricing of public offering of common stock and warrants at $4.90 apiece for gross proceeds of $75 million

** Offering priced at stock's last close of $4.90

** Insiders had indicated on buying up to $350,000 in shares in offering, according to SEC filing

** Leerink Partners and Evercore ISI were joint book-running managers for offering

** Boston, Massachusetts-based AURA plans to use proceeds to advance its clinical programs and other purposes

** Separately, AURA posts Q1 loss of $27.5 million, up from $19.7 million loss a year ago

** AURA had cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities totaling $128 million, as of March 31

** All seven brokerages covering stock rate "buy" or higher; median PT $22.50 - data compiled by LSEG

** As of last close, stock down 40.4% YTD

(Reporting by Arasu Kannagi Basil in Bengaluru)

((ArasuKannagi.Basil@thomsonreuters.com;))