Shares of Vertex Prescribed drugs (NASDAQ: VRTX) and Regeneron Prescribed drugs (NASDAQ: REGN) are every up about 20% over the previous 12 months. The biotech firms have proven elevated income and earnings per share (EPS) over the previous three years and have burgeoning pipelines that ought to proceed to drive progress.
Regardless of their profitability and potential, to me, they nonetheless commerce under their long-term worth, with Regeneron buying and selling at slightly over 16 occasions earnings and Vertex going for barely above 23 occasions earnings. I feel these numbers do not totally bear in mind among the potential blockbuster therapies they’ve within the works. An funding in both is a stable selection for long-term traders. These firms have already proven regular income and EPS progress over the previous three years and so they have the merchandise that may permit these metrics to proceed to develop.
VRTX Revenue (Quarterly) information by YCharts
Regeneron’s pipeline is rising
Regeneron reported fourth-quarter and full-year numbers on Feb. 3. Whereas gross sales for the 12 months have been down 24% to $12.17 billion, while you exclude its COVID-19 therapies, REGEN-COV and Ronapreve, the corporate’s revenues have been up 17%.
The primary cause for the company’s growth in non-COVID therapies is its anti-inflammation drug Dupixent (dupilumab). Regeneron shares the drug’s gross sales with companion Sanofi. Dupixent has been accredited to deal with eczema and bronchial asthma, long-term sinus irritation in adults, eosinophilic esophagitis (an allergic situation within the esophagus) and prurigo nodularis, a pores and skin illness related to itchy lumps. The drug can also be in section 3 trials for atopic dermatitis, persistent spontaneous urticaria (a sort of persistent hives), and persistent obstructive pulmonary illness (COPD).
Dupixent’s 2022 world gross sales (recorded by Sanofi) rose 40% to $8.68 billion. Regeneron’s yearly collaboration income from Sanofi for Dupixent was $2.85 billion, up 50% over 2021.
Regeneron additionally noticed $6.26 billion in 2022 gross sales from eye drug Eylea (aflibercept), up 8% over 2021. The remedy is accredited to deal with a number of retinal illnesses. The corporate is testing a stronger, longer-acting dose of Eylea and will launch it as early as this summer season, serving to it stave off competitors from Vabysmo, produced by Roche Ag.
Regeneron has a large pipeline, with 40 candidates, together with 10 in section 3 trials.
Essentially the most promising drug in Regeneron’s pipeline could also be immuno-oncology remedy Libtayo. The drug was accredited by the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) in November 2022 as a mixture remedy with chemotherapy as a first-line remedy for adults with superior non-small cell lung most cancers. The European Fee additionally accredited the drug in November as a monotherapy to deal with recurrent or metastatic cervical most cancers. In December 2022, Japan accredited Libtayo to deal with superior or recurrent cervical most cancers.
Regeneron hasn’t but put a greenback worth on the drug’s potential, but it surely sees many potential purposes for the remedy, each as a stand-alone or as a mixture remedy, which means it may very well be a blockbuster drug. The corporate sees risk for Libtayo to deal with melanoma, prostate most cancers, ovarian most cancers and stable tumor cancers.
I see Regeneron as the kind of firm that may assist set an investor up for all times. It is already worthwhile, has an enormous diversified pipeline, and a specific power in worthwhile immuno-oncology medicine that may be accredited for a number of maladies, extending their patent in addition to their buyer attain.
Vertex has the soundness to develop
Vertex, as soon as identified solely as a biotech that centered on cystic fibrosis (CF) therapies, has made the leap to cell and genetic therapies, thanks partly to its partnership with CRISPR Therapeutics.
Vertex has six late-stage therapies in its 19-program pipeline. This consists of exa-cel, which it’s growing with CRISPR as a remedy to deal with transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia and sickle cell illness, each uncommon blood issues attributable to inherited genetics.
Vertex and CRISPR have begun the method of a rolling biologics license utility (BLA) for exa-cel with the FDA, and it may very well be accomplished as early as this quarter, the corporate stated. The drug has the potential to finish the necessity for transfusions for these with the illnesses, which have an effect on 32,000 individuals within the U.S. and Europe.
Vertex can also be growing VX-548 as a non-opioid various to deal with acute ache, is taking a look at Inaxaplin as a remedy for APOL1-mediated kidney illness, and has a next-generation CF remedy in Vanzacaftor triple.
The corporate’s funds are nonetheless pushed by lead CF remedy Trikafta, which introduced in $8.9 billion in 2022, up 18%, 12 months over 12 months. The drug’s continued progress has helped to finance the corporate’s analysis and growth, which in flip has elevated its pipeline. Vertex reported full-year 2022 income of $8.93 billion, up 18%, 12 months over 12 months and web revenue of $3.3 billion, up 42% over 2021.
Vertex has a steady of worthwhile CF therapies and a rising pipeline. If only some of its therapies in testing are accredited, the corporate ought to proceed to develop income and share value, making it a superb long-term selection and doubtlessly serving to arrange traders for all times.
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Jim Halley has positions in CRISPR Therapeutics. The Motley Idiot has positions in and recommends CRISPR Therapeutics and Vertex Prescribed drugs. The Motley Idiot recommends Roche Ag. The Motley Idiot has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the writer and don’t essentially mirror these of Nasdaq, Inc.