EUR/USD likely to find a peak near 1.25: UBS
Investing.com - BofA Securities raised its price target on Rhythm Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:RYTM) to $95.00 from $73.00 on Wednesday, while maintaining a Buy rating following positive Phase 2 trial results for the company’s oral obesity treatment. The company, currently valued at $5.54 billion, has seen its stock surge 16.36% year-to-date, with InvestingPro data showing the stock trading near its 52-week high.
The trial evaluated Rhythm’s next-generation oral MC4R agonist bivamelagon (biva™) in patients with hyperphagia and obesity. The 600mg high-dose cohort demonstrated a 9.31% reduction in body mass index (BMI) at Week 14, which BofA noted was in line with key opinion leader expectations of 5-10% BMI reduction. The company maintains impressive gross profit margins of 89.62%, according to InvestingPro data, which offers 10+ additional insights about the company’s financial health.
Rhythm’s management indicated the efficacy data was largely equivalent to the company’s existing setmelanotide treatment, which showed BMI reductions of 9.7% and 10.5% at Week 12 and Week 16, respectively, in pooled Phase 2 and 3 data from a similar patient population.
The company plans to request an end-of-Phase 2 meeting to discuss advancing to Phase 3 trials, which are expected to follow a similar design to setmelanotide’s Phase 3 program. Management anticipates completing formulation work to improve bivamelagon’s tolerability in the first half of 2026 before proceeding to Phase 3.
BofA Securities expressed encouragement about the Phase 2 results, which suggest bivamelagon could offer similar efficacy to setmelanotide but with more convenient once-daily oral dosing, supporting their reiterated Buy rating and higher price target. With a strong bullish consensus among analysts and relatively high market volatility (Beta 2.27), investors can access comprehensive analysis through InvestingPro’s detailed research reports, available for over 1,400 US stocks.
In other recent news, Rhythm Pharmaceuticals announced positive results from its Phase 2 trial of bivamelagon, an investigational oral melanocortin-4 receptor agonist, for treating acquired hypothalamic obesity. The trial showed statistically significant reductions in body mass index (BMI), with the 600mg dose cohort achieving a 9.3% reduction and the 400mg cohort a 7.7% reduction, compared to a 2.2% increase in the placebo group. Stifel reiterated its Buy rating on Rhythm Pharmaceuticals, highlighting the potential for substantial upside due to extended patent protection through 2040. Meanwhile, Leerink Partners initiated coverage with an Outperform rating and an $88.00 price target, citing the company’s strategic focus on rare genetic obesity treatments. Rhythm Pharmaceuticals plans to seek regulatory input for a Phase 3 trial design and is refining the drug formulation to improve tolerability. The company is also advancing its pipeline beyond setmelanotide, with other investigational MC4R agonists under development. Safety results for bivamelagon were consistent with its mechanism of action, with mild episodes of diarrhea and nausea reported. Rhythm Pharmaceuticals continues to build its portfolio targeting rare metabolic disorders, with upcoming product launches expected to drive revenue growth.
This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.