** Brokerage BMO Capital Markets says the inclusion of Vertex's VRTX.O non-opioid painkiller in tier 3 on two of insurer UnitedHealth's UNH.N approved drug lists is a modest headwind
** The tier 3 designation is reserved for "non-preferred" brand-name drugs that may have lower-cost options
** The drug, Journavx, will likely cost more than those on tier 1 or tier 2, which usually include low-cost generics or preferred drugs on patent
** Truly differentiated drugs with a tier 3 designation, such as Gilead's GILD.O Livdelzi and Roche's ROG.S Vabysmo, can still see strong uptake - BMO
** The designation will likely drive some patient access headwinds as VRTX looks to establish its offering as differentiated vs cheap alternatives - brokerage
** Twenty of 33 brokerages rate the stock "buy" or higher, 12 "hold" and one "sell" or lower; their median PT is $520
** VRTX fell 4.2% in 2024
(Reporting by Puyaan Singh)
((Puyaan.Singh@thomsonreuters.com;))
免責聲明：投資有風險，本文並非投資建議，以上內容不應被視為任何金融產品的購買或出售要約、建議或邀請，作者或其他用戶的任何相關討論、評論或帖子也不應被視為此類內容。本文僅供一般參考，不考慮您的個人投資目標、財務狀況或需求。TTM對信息的準確性和完整性不承擔任何責任或保證，投資者應自行研究並在投資前尋求專業建議。