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H.C. Wainwright maintained its buy rating and $16.00 price target on Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) Monday, citing encouraging second-quarter trends for the company’s bempedoic acid (BDA) franchise. Currently trading at $1.17 with a market cap of $229 million, the stock has seen a significant 52% decline over the past six months, according to InvestingPro data.
Esperion reported $34.9 million in U.S. product revenue for its cholesterol-lowering drugs NEXLETOL and NEXLIZET during the first quarter of 2025, reflecting a 2% growth in retail prescriptions from the previous quarter despite a flat lipid-lowering market affected by Medicare Part D changes. InvestingPro analysis reveals the company achieved a 13% year-over-year revenue growth, though it faces challenges with significant cash burn and debt burden.
Early second-quarter trends show prescription volume tracking approximately 8% higher than the first quarter, according to the research firm, which has increased its 2025 U.S. product sales estimates to $37.75 million for the second quarter, with projections of $39.65 million and $42.69 million for the third and fourth quarters respectively.
The company’s growth is supported by strong recommendations in the 2025 ACC/AHA Multi-Society Guidelines for using BDA in patients with acute coronary syndromes, along with new educational and marketing initiatives and expansion of the U.S. field reimbursement team.
H.C. Wainwright noted that Esperion entered 2025 with a strategic plan focused on sustained operating profitability, global expansion of its BDA franchise, and progress in its early-stage pipeline, positioning its products as alternatives to statins and PCSK9 inhibitors. While analyst targets range from $1.50 to $16.00, InvestingPro subscribers can access 7 additional key insights about Esperion’s financial health and growth prospects through the comprehensive Pro Research Report, along with detailed fair value analysis and future earnings projections.
In other recent news, Esperion Therapeutics reported its Q1 2025 earnings, revealing a significant revenue increase of 63% year-over-year, reaching $65 million, although it missed earnings per share (EPS) expectations with an EPS of -$0.21 against a forecast of -$0.16. Despite this, the company continues to expand its international partnerships, focusing on a new product launch in 2027. Esperion also reached a settlement agreement with Hetero USA over a patent litigation case, ensuring that Hetero will not market a generic version of its cholesterol-lowering drug, NEXLETOL, in the U.S. until at least April 2040. Additionally, Esperion announced a strategic partnership with HLS Therapeutics, granting exclusive rights to commercialize its cardiovascular treatments, NEXLETOL and NEXLIZET, in Canada, which includes an upfront payment and potential near-term milestones. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated its Overweight rating for Esperion, highlighting the company’s growth potential and its continued revenue growth path. The firm emphasized Esperion’s expanded label and global partnerships as key growth drivers. These developments underscore Esperion’s commitment to expanding its market presence and enhancing its product offerings in the cardiovascular treatment space.
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