Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: VRTX) soared 85% over the past two years as it headed into a new era of growth. The company already has been a giant in the area of cystic fibrosis (CF) treatment for years, bringing in billions of dollars in earnings. But now Vertex is proving it could expand beyond that specialty area to excel elsewhere, too.

Investors bet on Vertex's ability to develop a gene editing treatment for blood disorders -- and they won that bet in recent weeks as Vertex gained regulatory approval for Casgevy. On top of this, Vertex aims to file regulatory requests for two more potential blockbusters this year, meaning catalysts for share performance could be on the horizon. Today, Vertex shares trade for about $423 after rising to a record of $446 last month. Could they climb to $500 this year? 

Image source: Getty Images.

Continue reading

Source Fool.com