Benzinga - by Vandana Singh, Benzinga Editor.
HC Wainwright has initiated coverage on eFFECTOR Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ: EFTR) with a Buy rating and a price target of $5.
Analysts Robert Burns and Raghuram Selvaraju draw investors' attention to eFFECTOR's lead candidate, zotatifin, a novel, selective inhibitor of eIF4A (a helicase enzyme responsible for unwinding complex secondary structures in "onco" RNAs, enabling select tumor cells to overproduce proteins associated with cellular growth, including the estrogen receptor (ER) and components of the KRAS signaling pathway.
Another possible near-term value driver with tomivosertib in lung cancer is a potent, selective oral small molecule inhibitor of MNK (a serine/threonine kinase target).
The analysts write that the potential positioning of tomivosertib as a broadspectrum agent that can overcome patient resistance to widely-used checkpoint inhibitor therapy could enable the drug to achieve blockbuster commercial status.
Pfizer Inc (NYSE: PFE) collaboration provides strategic validation and potential long-term upside to forecasts.
HC Wainwright says zotatifin and tomivosertib could target very substantial commercial niches, reach the market in the 2027 time frame, and achieve blockbuster status by 2030.
The analysts project peak zotatifin sales of $1.6 billion by 2035, with peak tomivosertib sales reaching roughly $1.4 billion.
Price Action: EFTR shares are trading flat at $0.71 on the last check Thursday.
Latest Ratings for EFTR
| Jan 2022 | Credit Suisse | Maintains | Outperform | |
| Jan 2022 | Stifel | Downgrades | Buy | Hold |
| Jan 2022 | JMP Securities | Maintains | Market Outperform |
View the Latest Analyst Ratings
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