On Wednesday, BMO Capital Markets adjusted its outlook on Neurocrine (NASDAQ:NBIX) Biosciences (NASDAQ:NBIX), reducing the price target from $142.00 to $128.00 while maintaining a Market Perform rating. The adjustment comes in response to the company's recent clinical trial data for a schizophrenia treatment, which raised several concerns for the analyst at BMO Capital.
The trial results for the schizophrenia drug, referred to as '568, have been characterized as puzzling, with an absence of expected dose response—a key factor in determining the effectiveness of a medication based on different doses. The BMO Capital analyst highlighted this lack of a dose-response curve as a primary issue, along with the company management's uncertainty regarding the cause of these unexpected results.
Neurocrine's decision to proceed to phase 3 trials with the drug has been deemed high-risk by the analyst due to the mixed outcomes observed in the current phase. A more cautious approach, such as conducting a smaller phase 2b trial, was suggested as a preferable next step before advancing to more extensive and costly phase 3 trials.
The price target has been lowered to $128 as a reflection of the increased uncertainty and perceived risk associated with Neurocrine's muscarinic program. Despite these concerns, the Market Perform rating has been reiterated, indicating a neutral stance on the stock's investment potential at this time.
In other recent news, Neurocrine Biosciences has reported significant developments. The company's drug candidate NBI-568, intended for psychiatric disorders, has shown promising results in clinical trials, leading to TD Cowen maintaining a Buy rating with a price target of $170.00. Neurocrine Biosciences plans to progress NBI-568 to Phase III trials in 2025, indicating an ongoing commitment to the drug's development.
Furthermore, Neurocrine Biosciences has reported over 30% year-over-year growth in sales of their drug, INGREZZA, leading to an increase in their sales guidance for the year to a range of $2.25 billion to $2.3 billion. Jefferies has accordingly raised their price target for Neurocrine Biosciences to $189.00, maintaining a Buy rating.
In addition, Neurocrine Biosciences reported that its Phase 2 clinical trial of NBI-1117568, a novel treatment for schizophrenia, met its primary endpoint, demonstrating a significant reduction in symptom severity. The company plans to advance this drug into Phase 3 development early next year. Lastly, Neurocrine Biosciences is awaiting FDA approval for Crinecerfont, a drug for congenital adrenal hyperplasia, further expanding its product portfolio.
InvestingPro Insights
In light of BMO Capital Markets' recent adjustment on Neurocrine Biosciences, it's worth considering some additional insights from InvestingPro. Analysts are optimistic about the company's profitability, with net income expected to grow this year. This is further supported by the fact that 10 analysts have revised their earnings upwards for the upcoming period. Additionally, Neurocrine is trading at a low P/E ratio relative to near-term earnings growth, which could indicate an attractive valuation for investors.
From a financial perspective, the company's market cap stands at $12.57 billion, and it boasts a solid revenue growth of 26.69% over the last twelve months as of Q2 2024. Neurocrine also maintains a strong gross profit margin of 68.55%, indicating efficient operations and cost control. These metrics, combined with a PEG ratio of 0.51, suggest that the stock may have growth potential when considering its earnings trajectory.
For those interested in further analysis and metrics, InvestingPro offers additional tips on Neurocrine Biosciences, providing a more comprehensive view of the company's financial health and stock performance. To explore these insights, visit InvestingPro at: https://www.investing.com/pro/NBIX
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