Verona Pharma plc (NASDAQ:VRNA) is one of the 11 Best Mid-cap Healthcare Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds. Piper Sandler increased the price target on the company’s stock to $160 from $76, while maintaining an “Overweight” rating. The analyst highlighted that the Street anticipates Ohtuvayre to reach blockbuster status in 2027 with strong growth as it further gets incorporated into the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease treatment paradigm. Notably, the drug’s dual bronchodilation and anti-inflammatory effects offer critical advantages in COPD therapy.
A patient in a clinic, taking a medication dose from a nebulizer to treat a respiratory disease.
Verona Pharma plc (NASDAQ:VRNA) highlighted that the strong US launch of Ohtuvayre (ensifentrine) for the maintenance treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has been accelerating, with 95% net sales growth in Q1 2025 as compared to Q4 2024, thanks to the significant increases in prescriptions, prescribers, new patients, and refills. Furthermore, the dramatic uptake of Ohtuvayre supports the unmet need of patients with COPD. Talking about Ohtuvayre’s Q1 2025 performance metrics, while the refills represented ~60% of overall dispenses, the new patient starts were more than 25% greater than those in Q4 2024.
Furthermore, a newly granted patent, which expires in June 2044, was listed in the FDA’s Orange Book for Ohtuvayre, apart from the 3 original Orange Book-listed patents. TimesSquare Capital Management, an equity investment management company, released its Q1 2025 investor letter. Here is what the fund said:
“Our preferences among Health Care stocks are those companies providing novel therapies for unmet needs that deserve premium pricing, or specialized service providers. There were two additions to the sector this quarter. Verona Pharma plc (NASDAQ:VRNA) is focused on developing therapies for respiratory diseases. Their Ensifentrine received FDA approval for treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The first two quarters of the product launch exceeded estimates.”
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
