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Investing.com - Piper Sandler initiated coverage on Inventiva SA (NASDAQ:IVA), currently valued at $730 million, with an Overweight rating and a $26.00 price target on Wednesday. The stock has shown impressive momentum, gaining over 88% in the past year and trading near its 52-week high of $4.79.
The research firm highlighted Inventiva’s lead asset, lanifibranor, an oral pan-PPAR agonist being developed for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), with Phase 3 NATiV3 topline results expected in the second half of 2026. According to InvestingPro data, the company maintains impressive gross profit margins of 90%, though it’s currently burning through cash.
Piper Sandler noted that Inventiva’s current market capitalization of approximately $650 million represents a 14-times valuation gap compared to competitor Madrigal Pharmaceuticals’ $9.2 billion valuation in the MASH treatment space.
The firm specifically pointed to lanifibranor’s potential positioning for type 2 diabetes MASH patients, citing its benefits for glycemic control and insulin resistance, with an estimated 10.6 million F2-3 US MASH patients by 2030, approximately 15-20% of whom have type 2 diabetes comorbidity.
Piper Sandler views the upcoming Phase 3 NATiV3 trial results as a de-risked and potentially significant stock-moving event that could highlight lanifibranor’s value proposition in the MASH treatment landscape. While analyst targets range from $3 to $20, InvestingPro analysis suggests the stock is currently trading above its Fair Value. Subscribers can access 10+ additional ProTips and comprehensive financial metrics to make informed investment decisions.
In other recent news, Inventiva has made notable appointments within its leadership team. The French biopharmaceutical company announced the appointment of Jason Campagna as President of Research and Development and Chief Medical Officer. Campagna brings experience from his previous roles at Q32 Bio and Intercept Pharmaceuticals. Additionally, Martine Zimmermann has been named Executive Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and Quality Assurance. In another leadership update, Renée Aguiar-Lucander, former CEO of Calliditas, has joined Inventiva’s Board of Directors. This appointment was approved at the company’s recent Annual General Meeting. These changes come as Inventiva continues to advance its lead drug candidate, lanifibranor, through late-stage clinical development. The company is focused on treatments for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis.
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