Expanding Beyond Sleep: Buy Rating on Centessa Pharmaceuticals Driven by Compelling Preclinical Data for Orexin Agonist CNT-9982

Ami Fadia, an analyst from Needham, maintained the Buy rating on Centessa Pharmaceuticals. The associated price target remains the same with $38.00.

Ami Fadia has given his Buy rating due to a combination of factors that highlight Centessa Pharmaceuticals’ strong scientific foundation and potential to expand the utility of orexin agonists beyond traditional sleep indications. She points to new preclinical data for CNT-9982, an OX2R agonist, showing meaningful antidepressant-like activity in the WKY rat model, where a single dose reduced immobility time in the Forced Swim Test, a standard measure of behavioral despair. In addition to behavioral benefits, CNT-9982 corrected excessive sleep patterns in these animals in a dose-responsive manner, reinforcing the mechanistic rationale and suggesting broader neuropsychiatric applicability.
Furthermore, Fadia emphasizes that CNT-9982 is an orally available, brain-penetrant molecule with very high potency and strong selectivity for the OX2R receptor, characteristics that are favorable for clinical development. While another asset in the space, ORX 750, exhibits even greater receptor selectivity with slightly lower potency, CNT-9982 still compares favorably as a differentiated, high-quality candidate. In her view, the combination of compelling preclinical efficacy signals, attractive pharmacologic profile, and the emerging opportunity for orexin agonists in indications beyond sleep supports a positive risk‑reward setup for the stock, underpinning the Buy rating.

According to TipRanks, Fadia is a 5-star analyst with an average return of 22.8% and a 53.00% success rate. Fadia covers the Healthcare sector, focusing on stocks such as Praxis Precision Medicines, Alkermes, and Axsome Therapeutics.

In another report released on January 13, Leerink Partners also reiterated a Buy rating on the stock with a $0.00 price target.