Esperion (ESPR): Growing Global Guideline Endorsements and Regulatory Milestones for Bempedoic Acid Support Buy Rating and $16 Target

H.C. Wainwright analyst Joseph Pantginis maintained a Buy rating on Esperion today and set a price target of $16.00.

Joseph Pantginis has given his Buy rating due to a combination of factors tied to the growing clinical and regulatory endorsement of Esperion’s bempedoic acid (BDA) franchise. He highlights that the latest American College of Cardiology scientific statement positions BDA as a first-line LDL-C–lowering option for high‑risk diabetic patients with peripheral artery disease who are already on maximally tolerated statins, reflecting confidence in its cardiovascular and limb‑event risk–reduction profile. He also points to BDA’s recent strongest‑level recommendation in European lipid guidelines as the only new non‑statin therapy with proven cardiovascular benefit for statin‑intolerant patients, underscoring broad expert acceptance.

Pantginis further emphasizes the importance of these guideline endorsements for accelerating commercial adoption in both the U.S. and ex‑U.S. markets, and he expects forthcoming U.S. dyslipidemia guidelines to provide additional tailwinds for use of BDA. On the international front, he notes that Health Canada’s approval of NILEMDO (BDA) for patients at cardiovascular risk, including those unable to tolerate statins, adds another meaningful growth vector ahead of a planned launch in 2Q26. He views the outstanding chemistry, manufacturing, and controls questions for the NEXLIZET combination product as manageable, with no safety or efficacy concerns raised by regulators, and anticipates further approvals in territories such as Israel and Australia/New Zealand. Collectively, these clinical, regulatory, and commercial catalysts underpin his confidence in ESPR’s upside potential, supporting his Buy rating and $16 price target.

Based on the recent corporate insider activity of 31 insiders, corporate insider sentiment is negative on the stock. This means that over the past quarter there has been an increase of insiders selling their shares of ESPR in relation to earlier this year.