Truist raises Mersana stock target to $10, maintains Buy rating

Published 15/05/2025, 21:06
Truist raises Mersana stock target to $10, maintains Buy rating

On Thursday, Truist Securities increased its price target on Mersana Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRSN) shares to $10.00, up from the previous $10.00, while retaining a Buy rating on the stock. Currently trading at $0.32 with a market cap of $39 million, the stock has shown resilience with a ~13% gain over the past week. According to InvestingPro data, analysts maintain a strong buy consensus on MRSN, with price targets ranging from $1 to $9. The adjustment reflects the firm’s positive reception of recent clinical developments and a strategic company restructuring.

Mersana’s investigational therapy, Emi-Le, has shown promise in ongoing studies. The objective response rate (ORR) has been notable, particularly in patients with high B7-H7 expression. The ORR stands at 31% across all participants, with a 29% rate in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients previously treated with Topo1 inhibitors. InvestingPro analysis indicates the company maintains a FAIR financial health score of 1.94, though it’s currently not profitable with negative EBITDA of $71.7 million in the last twelve months.

The ability to administer higher doses of Emi-Le through prophylactic toxicity management and step dosing has also been a key development. Truist Securities highlighted the announcement of a new Dose B expansion, which is set to achieve an 80 mg/m² dosage every four weeks (Q4W). Analysts anticipate that with stricter recruitment criteria and toxicity management, Emi-Le could consistently reach an ORR of over 30% in the upcoming expansion cohorts.

Looking ahead, Mersana is planning a Phase 3 trial. The analysts noted that the significant effect size observed might allow for a smaller sample size in the study. The data expected to be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting and the dose-expansion results in the second half of 2025 are among the eagerly awaited updates.

Additionally, Mersana’s operational restructuring, which includes a 55% reduction in headcount, is expected to extend the company’s cash runway into mid-2026. This has led to a revised estimate for general and administrative expenses, which Truist Securities now expects to decrease by 25% year-over-year in 2025. According to InvestingPro, the company holds more cash than debt on its balance sheet, with a healthy current ratio of 2.19, indicating strong short-term liquidity. This financial recalibration has also contributed to the increased price target for Mersana’s stock. For deeper insights into MRSN’s financial health and growth prospects, including 12 additional ProTips and comprehensive valuation metrics, consider accessing the full Pro Research Report.

In other recent news, Mersana Therapeutics reported a net loss of $24.1 million for the first quarter of 2025, aligning with analysts’ expectations of an earnings per share (EPS) of -0.19. However, the company’s revenue fell short of forecasts, coming in at $2.75 million compared to the anticipated $6.05 million. Despite this revenue shortfall, the company announced a strategic restructuring, including workforce reductions, to focus on its breast cancer treatment pipeline. The company has extended its expected cash runway into mid-2026, providing a stable financial foundation for ongoing development. Mersana plans to share initial clinical expansion data in the second half of 2025, with potential for a randomized Phase 3 trial. The strategic focus on breast cancer treatment and cost-cutting measures may have contributed to a positive market reaction. Additionally, Mersana’s restructuring plan includes narrowing its clinical development work to prioritize its EMILY program, which targets high unmet medical needs in breast cancer. The company continues to support its ongoing collaborations and Phase 1 dose escalation work for other projects.

This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers
© 2007-2025 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.