Galectin Therapeutics Short Interest Rises 27% in March

Biotech firm sees significant increase in shares sold short amid ongoing pipeline development.

Mar. 30, 2026 at 3:13pm

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Galectin Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:GALT), a clinical-stage biotech company focused on novel therapies for fibrotic and inflammatory diseases, saw a 27% increase in short interest during March. As of March 13th, 21.5% of the company's shares were sold short, up from 5,169,383 shares in late February.

Why it matters

The rise in short interest suggests increased investor skepticism around Galectin's pipeline progress and future prospects, despite the company's ongoing clinical trials for its lead drug candidate belapectin in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Short interest can signal potential volatility ahead for the stock.

The details

According to data, Galectin's short interest totaled 6,567,660 shares as of March 13th, up from 5,169,383 shares two weeks earlier. This represents 21.5% of the company's total outstanding shares. The short interest ratio, which measures the number of days it would take to cover all the short positions, is currently 13.7 days based on the stock's average daily trading volume.

  • As of March 13th, 2026, Galectin Therapeutics had 6,567,660 shares sold short.
  • On February 26th, 2026, Galectin Therapeutics had 5,169,383 shares sold short.

The players

Galectin Therapeutics Inc.

A clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing novel therapies that target galectin proteins, which are implicated in fibrotic, inflammatory and malignant diseases.

Joel Lewis

Chief Executive Officer of Galectin Therapeutics.

Khurram Jamil

Insider at Galectin Therapeutics who sold shares in January 2026.

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What’s next

Galectin Therapeutics is expected to provide an update on the progress of its belapectin clinical trials in NASH during its next quarterly earnings report.

The takeaway

The significant rise in short interest for Galectin Therapeutics suggests growing investor skepticism around the company's ability to advance its pipeline and gain regulatory approval for its lead drug candidate. This volatility underscores the risks and uncertainties inherent in the biotech industry.