Vertex Pharmaceuticals: The Gilead Sciences of Cystic Fibrosis?

Vertex Pharmaceuticals: The Gilead Sciences of Cystic Fibrosis?

In only a year, Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: VRTX) has grown from a market cap of around $20 billion to knocking on the door of a $40 billion market cap. The biotech isn't finished growing. Wall Street analysts project Vertex will increase earnings by nearly 70% annually over the next few years. If the biotech comes anywhere close to that level of growth, Vertex's market cap will move even higher.

Interestingly, Vertex COO Ian Smith said at the Leerink conference in New York on Wednesday that his company often compares itself to Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ: GILD). According to Smith, Vertex's goal is to do in cystic fibrosis (CF) what Gilead has done in HIV. Can Vertex pull it off? 

Image source: Getty Images.

Continue reading

Source: Fool.com