Esperion Therapeutics ESPR incurred a fourth-quarter 2024 loss of 10 cents per share (excluding one-time expenses of loss on extinguishment of debt and exchange transaction), which was narrower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 14 cents. In the year-ago quarter, Esperion had incurred a loss of 50 cents per share.

Including one-time expenses, the company reported a loss of 11 cents per share.

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Esperion generated revenues of $69.1 million, up 114% year over year, driven by higher collaboration revenues and product revenues in the United States. However, the reported figure missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $70 million.

In the past year, shares of Esperion have plunged 28.1% compared with the industry’s decline of 11%.

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More on ESPR's Q4 Results

Esperion has two FDA-approved drugs in its commercial portfolio, Nexletol and Nexlizet, that are approved for treating elevated LDL-C (bad cholesterol) and cardiovascular risk reduction. These two oral drugs are marketed as Nilemdo and Nustendi in ex-U.S. markets (excluding Japan, where the company has a collaboration with Otsuka Pharmaceuticals) in partnership with Daiichi Sankyo. The company records royalties on sales of its drugs in ex-U.S. markets.

Nexlizet is a combination of bempedoic acid and ezetimibe.

Product revenues, solely from the United States, totaled $31.6 million in the fourth quarter, up almost 52% year over year. This upside was driven by retail prescription growth. During the quarter, the drugs’ total retail prescription increased 45% year over year and 12% sequentially.

Product revenues missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $32.8 million.

Esperion recorded collaboration revenues, including combined royalty and partner revenues of $37.6 million during the fourth quarter, surging 227% year over year. This upside was driven by increases in royalty sales and higher revenues recognized from the litigation-related settlement received from Daiichi Sankyo Europe, as well as a one-time milestone recognized from Otsuka.

In November 2024, Otsuka Pharmaceutical submitted a new drug application to the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare for the manufacture and sale of bempedoic acid in the country for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia and familial hypercholesterolemia. Otsuka expects approval for the same in the second half of 2025.

Collaboration revenues marginally beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $37.3 million as well as our model estimate of $37.5 million.

Research and development expenses declined 38% from the year-ago period’s levels to $11 million, primarily related to the close-out of the company’s CLEAR Outcomes study.

Selling, general and administrative expenses were down 19% year over year to $36.9 million.

As of Dec. 31, 2024, Esperion had cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and investment securities of $144.8 million compared with $144.7 million as of Sept. 30, 2024.

ESPR's Full-Year Results

For 2024, Esperion generated revenues of $332.3 million compared with $116.3 million recorded in the year-ago quarter.

For the same period, the company reported a loss of 28 cents per share, narrower than the loss of $2.03 reported in the year-ago period.

2025 Guidance

Esperion expects operating expenses in the range of $215-$235 million, including $15 million in non-cash expenses related to stock compensation during 2025.

ESPR's Recent Updates

Along with the earnings release, Esperion announced that it has started developing two triple combination products with Nexletol/Nexlizet in combination with either atorvastatin or rosuvastatin.

Per published literature, management believes the triple combination products may offer LDL-C lowering of more than 60%. On the fourth-quarter conference call, management stated that this level of efficacy has the potential to rival both existing and emerging injectable and oral therapies and may provide a valuable oral treatment option for patients and physicians.

This can be attributed as the reason for the stock to rise 12% yesterday.

Esperion filed new drug submissions in Canada to seek approval for its once-daily, oral non-statin drugs Nexletol (bempedoic acid) and Nexlizet as a treatment to reduce low-density lipoprotein cholesterol or LDL-C (bad cholesterol) and cardiovascular risk in December 2024.

A potential approval in Canada is expected in the fourth quarter of 2025.

Esperion has partnered with CSL Seqirus to commercialize Nexletol and Nexlizet in Australia and New Zealand. The company received an upfront payment and is eligible for near-term milestones, along with a profitable transfer price on net product sales.

ESPR's Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider

Esperion currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Some better-ranked stocks in the drug/biotech sector are Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc. RIGL and Pacira BioSciences, Inc. PCRX, each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

In the past 60 days, estimates for Rigel Pharmaceuticals’ earnings per share have increased from 92 cents to $1.28 for 2025. In the past year, shares of RIGL have risen 41.6%.

RIGL’s earnings beat estimates in three of the trailing four quarters while missing the same on the remaining occasion, the average surprise being 1754.28%.

In the past 60 days, estimates for Pacira BioSciences’ earnings per share have increased from $3.42 to $4.30 for 2025. In the past year, shares of PCRX have decreased 21.8%.

PCRX’s earnings beat estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed on the remaining occasion, the average surprise being 8.58%.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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