3 biotechs with very positive analyst ratings
Wall Street Pros: These 3 Stocks Can Double Next Year
TipRanks•February 6, 2020
Let’s not complicate matters. Broken down into the most basic elements, it’s all very simple: investors want to put their hard earned cash in a place where they will return to after a period of time, and find that, viola! There is more money in said place than they had initially put in.
But what is the best way to go about it? There are countless options, for sure, but as anyone, in any field will tell you, listening to the pros’ advice is one well-trodden, tried and tested path.
TipRanks tracks the recommendations of over 6,000 such pros pounding the investing pavement of Wall Street on a daily basis. With this in mind, we used the platform to take a look at 3 tickers the experts on the Street think could potentially double in value over the next year. Let’s jump right in.
Phasebio Pharmaceuticals Inc. (PHAS)
If you’re looking to double your investment over a 12-month period, then the healthcare industry is a good place to begin your search. The volatile sector often sees biotechs double their value in a week, or even a day, never mind a year. The sector comes, though, with added risk attached to it, as what can be sent soaring majestically following positive data or regulatory approval can also be dumped unceremoniously by investors, should negative news make the headlines.
With this in mind, we turn to Phasebio Pharmaceuticals. This micro-cap is focused on developing novel therapies for orphan diseases with a strong emphasis on cardiopulmonary indications.
The company’s lead candidate is PB2452, a monoclonal antibody antigen-binding fragment intended to reverse the antiplatelet effects of AstraZeneca's blood thinner Brilinta. The drug is currently in a Phase 2b trial, with plans to initiate a pivotal Phase 3 trial in this year’s first quarter. The trial will support a Biologics License Application (BLA) for PB2452 in both major bleeding and urgent surgery indications.
Following a successful Phase 1 trial last year, the FDA granted the drug breakthrough therapy designation (BTD) status. If the rest of the trials go well, PB2452 should hit the market by no later than 2022.
Citigroup’s Joel Beatty believes Phasebio stock is “overly cheap”. The analyst thinks Phasebio is the most undervalued stock in Citi’s SMid-biotech coverage universe. “Although we project that Phase 3 results for PB2452 will come in 2H21 (beyond the current cash runway into ~1Q21), we see potential for enrollment updates throughout 2021 to provide some upside,” he said.
Bottom line? Beatty maintained his Buy rating on Phasebio, along with a price target of $25. This implies potential upside of a massive 357%. (To watch Beatty’s track record, click here)
The rest of the Street is hardly any less enthusiastic. 6 Buy ratings add up to a Strong Buy consensus rating. The average price target hits $21, implying potential gains of a massive 274%. (See Phasebio price targets and analyst ratings on TipRanks)
GlycoMimetics (GLYC)
Let’s stay in the biotech sector and look at the dramatic effect disappointing trial results can have on a stock.
In August last year, biotech GlycoMimetics licensee Pfizer reported negative results from the Phase 3 RESET trial of Rivipansel, which demonstrated that it failed to meet the primary endpoint of the study. What happened next, you ask? Shares of GLYC tumbled in a day, shedding 69% of their value. Ouch. The share price slowly clawed its way out of the doldrums throughout the rest of the year, but so far in 2020, the stock is down by 17%.
Nevertheless, Stifel Nicolaus’ Stephen Willey is a fan of GLYC. The 5-star analyst claims the oncology-focused company’s candidate for the treatment of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), uproleselan/GMI-1687 (formerly GMI-1271), is a “highly-differentiated and potentially best-in-class therapy for these limited-option patients.” He argues that the delay of Phase 3 top-line results has no bearing on his longer-term outlook for the drug.
According to Willey, the Phase 1/2 uproleselan data in relapsed/refractory and newly-diagnosed AML, which demonstrated a marked improvement in both the magnitude and depth of patient responses and the mitigation of chemotherapy-induced toxicity, bodes well for the candidate’s prospects.
Additionally, Willey feels the current valuation ignores other earlier-stage pipeline opportunities. Taking all this into consideration, then, Willey reiterated a Buy rating and $14 price target on the biotech. Should his thesis play out, investors will pocket a hefty 220% gain over the next year. (To watch Willey’s track record, click here)
Similarly, the majority of the Street takes a bullish approach when it comes to GLYC. Out of 5 analysts tracked over the last three months, 4 recommend a Buy while one suggests a Hold. At the average price target of $11.50, investors will take home a 161% gain should the figure be met in the months ahead. (See GlycoMimetics price targets and analyst ratings on TipRanks)
Chiasma (CHMA)
The third ticker on our list is a fellow micro-cap from the biotech space. Chiasma’s focus is on improving the lives of patients suffering from rare and serious chronic diseases. Its goal is to develop oral medications that are currently only available as injections through the use of its Transient Permeability Enhancer (TPE) technology platform.
The company is developing octreotide capsules, known as Mycapssa, for the treatment of adult patients with acromegaly, a disorder that results from excess growth hormone. Symptoms of the disease can include the enlargement of the hands and feet, along with the forehead, jaw and nose, possibly leading to type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea and high blood pressure. The condition is extremely rare and affects about 6 out of 100,000 people.
Chiasma received the dreaded CRL (complete response letter) for the drug in April 2016, which cited the need for another clinical trial. It resubmitted its Mycapssa (octreotide) application in December, which the FDA has accepted for review. A decision on the application is expected mid-year. If all goes well, commercial launch should ramp up in Q4.
Piper Sandler’s Edward Tenthoff is confident that Mycapssa will receive US approval, noting that manufacturing preparation is underway ahead of its potential launch. Not to mention the 5-star analyst believes that Chiasma remains on course to report top-line data from its Phase 3 MPOWERED study in Europe during Q4 to support EMA approval.
As a result, Tenthoff kept his Overweight rating on Chiasma along with a price target of $11 as is. Investors will be celebrating returns of a hefty 123% should the target be met. (To watch Tenthoff’s track record, click here)
The chronic disease fighter’s Strong Buy consensus rating breaks down into Buy ratings only – 4, as it happens. The average price target of $12.75 implies potential upside of 161%. (See Chiasma stock analysis on TipRanks)
Bladerunner
