Latest news with #CTX112
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Could CRISPR Therapeutics Become the Next Vertex Pharmaceuticals?
Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: VRTX) is a great example of biotech success. The company has built a cystic fibrosis (CF) empire, bringing in billions of dollars in revenue annually, and now is even expanding into other promising billion-dollar opportunities. It recently won approval for a non-opioid pain treatment that could be a game-changer for both patients and the company down the road. Of course, Vertex's success didn't happen overnight -- and the company even had to quickly shift focus after its initial drug, a hepatitis C treatment, didn't deliver lasting growth. Vertex then bet heavily on its CF research and scored a win: The company now has five commercialized CF treatments, including one approved early this year. CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ: CRSP) is a biotech that generally tackles specialties different from those of Vertex, though it has partnered with Vertex on certain programs. For example, using CRISPR Therapeutics' gene-editing platform, the two companies brought blood-disorders treatment Casgevy to market a little over a year ago. So these two players know each other well, though CRISPR Therapeutics is in the earlier stages of its product commercialization journey. Could it catch up to its bigger biotech peer, and even become the next Vertex in the eyes of investors? Let's find out. Let's start by taking a look at the CRISPR Therapeutics story so far. The company focuses on CRISPR gene editing, a technique that repairs faulty genes involved in disease; it does this by cutting DNA at a specific location and allowing a repair process to happen. As mentioned, this biotech and partner Vertex used the technology in Casgevy and won the first-ever regulatory approval of a treatment based on CRISPR gene editing. This shows that regulators recognize the technique's potential, and may be amenable to approving other treatments involving it in the future. And this is particularly important for CRISPR Therapeutics, since its pipeline revolves around CRISPR gene editing, with several compelling candidates for indications from type 1 diabetes to cardiovascular disease. This year could be an important one for the company for a couple of different reasons. First, it expects to deliver updates across clinical programs, and if these are positive, they could act as a catalyst for share-price gains. The company says it should release updates on CTX112 in oncology and autoimmune diseases by the middle of this year, and updates on the CTX131 program in solid tumors and hematologic malignancies this year as well. Second, CRISPR Therapeutics continues to roll out Casgevy, a product that is slow to launch as it involves a long treatment process -- steps include collection of blood stem cells, for example, and the return of edited cells back to the patient. The months-long process, which takes place at specific authorized treatment centers, means it will take time for the company to start seeing significant revenue flow in from Casgevy. As of the end of last year, more than 50 patients had cells collected for the treatment, so in the coming quarters we could start to see a path to revenue growth. Now, let's consider the comparison between CRISPR Therapeutics and Vertex. Both companies are innovators, using cutting-edge technology to treat serious diseases. And both companies have won regulatory approval, which could be seen as a vote of confidence in their technologies. Today, CRISPR Therapeutics has only reached that approval finish line once, while Vertex has passed it multiple times. However, if CRISPR Therapeutics continues to deliver positive clinical trial results, it could -- like Vertex -- become a company with multiple products on the market. This takes time, as the drug development process requires years of testing, and regulatory review generally spans several months. All of this means that if investors are looking for the next Vertex, they can consider CRISPR Therapeutics, but they should be ready to buy the stock and hold on for a number of years. As I said earlier, Vertex also didn't become a biotech giant in a day. Today, at a market value of $2.6 billion, CRISPR Therapeutics may seem light-years away from Vertex, valued at more than $120 billion. But it's important to remember that back in 2010 before Vertex's numerous product approvals, the company's market cap was only about $7.5 billion. So, if CRISPR Therapeutics is able to launch several products in the years to come, it could see its market value soar and become the next Vertex -- and that would be great news for investors who got in early on this potential biotech winner. Before you buy stock in CRISPR Therapeutics, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and CRISPR Therapeutics wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $509,884!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $700,739!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 820% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 158% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of April 5, 2025 Adria Cimino has positions in Vertex Pharmaceuticals. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends CRISPR Therapeutics and Vertex Pharmaceuticals. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Could CRISPR Therapeutics Become the Next Vertex Pharmaceuticals? was originally published by The Motley Fool Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
2 Beaten-Down Stocks to Buy on the Dip
While the recent market dip has created bargains, some stocks have sufficiently lagged the market in the past year to warrant that title regardless of what's transpired in 2025. Among them are CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ: CRSP) and Merck (NYSE: MRK), two companies that develop innovative medical therapies. CRISPR Therapeutics' shares are down by 41% over the trailing-12-month period, while Merck's have declined by 22%. Though both companies have encountered some headwinds, there are good reasons for patient investors to initiate positions, especially at current levels. It's not hard to figure out why CRISPR Therapeutics, a gene-editing specialist, isn't performing well. Though the company earned approval for Casgevy, which treats a pair of rare blood diseases, in late 2023, it's still not generating much revenue from it. Administering gene-editing therapies is expensive and time-consuming. Furthermore, CRISPR Therapeutics will share the profits generated from Casgevy with Vertex Pharmaceuticals, with which it developed the medicine; Vertex is entitled to 60% of the program profits. Still, Casgevy is now approved in the U.S., the U.K., and the European Union, in addition to several countries in the Middle East where the market opportunity may be larger than it is in the U.S. The mid-cap CRISPR Therapeutics would have never sought approvals in all those regions -- it's far too costly to do so for a company of this size. Even if it had, it wouldn't have done it that fast. So Casgevy's target market is much bigger than it otherwise would be, thanks to CRISPR Therapeutics' partnership with Vertex. Although it isn't yet contributing much to CRISPR Therapeutics' results, Casgevy will, eventually. It costs $2.2 million per treatment course, and hardly any approved competing treatments can challenge it. Casgevy is a one-time curative option for two otherwise lifelong diseases that rob patients of years -- or decades -- of average life expectancy, and cause severe hardships and financial burdens to them and their families. Elsewhere, CRISPR Therapeutics is developing other gene-editing medicines. It's working on a functional cure for type 1 diabetes. Meanwhile its CTX112, being developed to treat B-cell malignancies, has earned the Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This designation is granted to and helps speed up the development of medicines that target serious or life-threatening conditions and have provided promising early evidence of efficacy. CRISPR Therapeutics has already demonstrated significant innovative abilities. Expect the company to record important clinical wins in the next few years while it ramps up sales from Casgevy. After losing more than 40% of its value over the last 12 months, the stock could generate excellent returns for patient investors. Merck's best-selling medicine is Keytruda, which has earned dozens of indications worldwide e across many different types of cancer. Last year, an investigational cancer treatment called ivonescimab performed better than Keytruda in a phase 3 clinical trial conducted in China, on patients with non-small cell lung cancer and a PD-L1 protein overexpression -- one of Keytruda's most important markets. Eventual competition from ivonescimab could eat into Keytruda's market share -- and the older medicine will run out of patent exclusivity in 2028. Last year, Merck generated revenue of $64.2 billion, up 7% compared to 2023, a solid performance for a pharmaceutical giant. Keytruda's sales were $29.5 billion, up 18% year over year; the drug accounted for about 46% of Merck's top line. That's why the market is spooked: Losing Keytruda could be a catastrophe for Merck. However, the company has long been setting up its post-Keytruda plans. Merck will first extend the medicine's patent life through a subcutaneous formulation. This version of Keytruda should earn indications across many of the original's markets, and generate decent sales well into the 2030s. Moreover, the company will seek to develop newer, better medicines. Merck signed an agreement with China-based LaNova Medicines to develop LM-299, a cancer medicine in the same category as ivonescimab. Merck also joined the search for an effective weight management medicine through a licensing agreement with Hansoh Pharma for HS-10535, a preclinical GLP-1 candidate. Merck's own newer medicines, like Winrevair, a treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) with a novel mechanism of action, should eventually generate over $1 billion in annual sales. The company has a deep pipeline of its own, too. Lastly, Merck is a solid dividend stock. The company's forward yield now tops 3.4%, and it has increased its payouts by 80% in the past decade. Merck's issues are real, but it's encountered similar ones before in its long and storied history and has always come out on top. It seems to have the means to do the same this time. Despite dropping by more than 20% in the past year, the stock is an excellent pick for long-term investors. Ever feel like you missed the boat in buying the most successful stocks? Then you'll want to hear this. On rare occasions, our expert team of analysts issues a 'Double Down' stock recommendation for companies that they think are about to pop. If you're worried you've already missed your chance to invest, now is the best time to buy before it's too late. And the numbers speak for themselves: Nvidia: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2009, you'd have $305,226!* Apple: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2008, you'd have $41,382!* Netflix: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2004, you'd have $517,876!* Right now, we're issuing 'Double Down' alerts for three incredible companies, and there may not be another chance like this anytime soon.*Stock Advisor returns as of March 18, 2025 Prosper Junior Bakiny has positions in Vertex Pharmaceuticals. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends CRISPR Therapeutics, Merck, and Vertex Pharmaceuticals. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 2 Beaten-Down Stocks to Buy on the Dip was originally published by The Motley Fool Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
CRISPR Therapeutics Stock Upgrade Following Analyst Reassessment
CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP, Financials) stock rose 16.4% to $50.60 as of 10:10 a.m. GMT-5 on Friday, following an analyst upgrade. Citing pipeline advancements and possible catalysts, Evercore ISI analyst Liisa Bayko raised CRISpen Therapeutics from "In Line" to "Outperform." The company focused on the CTX320 and CTX310 in vivo gene editing initiatives, giving respectively 10% and 5% success rates. Second quarter of 2025 data from CTX320 is anticipated to line up with Novartis's cardiovascular outcomes study. Mid-2025 should provide updates on CTX112 (CAR-T treatment), CTX131 (oncology), and CTX221 (type 1 diabetes). Warning! GuruFocus has detected 4 Warning Signs with CRSP. From $1.7 billion at the end of 2023, the corporation said in December 31, 2024, $1.9 billion in cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities. Compared with 40 at the end of October, the Casgevy cell collection program also grew with over 50 fresh collections in the last nine weeks of the fourth quarter. Although the firm's risk-adjusted model puts in low success probability for its new in vivo activities, its financial situation and clinical advancements indicate a better picture. This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
