LENZ Therapeutics: Early VIZZ Launch, Targeted DTC Campaign, and Differentiated Presbyopia Profile Underpin Buy Rating

William Blair analyst Lachlan Hanbury Brown has maintained their bullish stance on LENZ stock, giving a Buy rating on January 12.

Lachlan Hanbury Brown has given his Buy rating due to a combination of factors tied to LENZ Therapeutics’ commercial progress and product profile. He views the launch of the “Make it VIZZable” direct-to-consumer campaign, led by Sarah Jessica Parker, as a key catalyst to build brand recognition and educate the large population of presbyopic patients about VIZZ. The campaign’s predominantly digital strategy allows for targeted outreach and rapid optimization, which he believes should translate into more efficient patient acquisition over time. He also interprets the early-quarter start of this campaign, ahead of prior expectations, as evidence that eye care professionals are already embracing the product, supported by increased sampling to meet anticipated demand.

At a broader level, Hanbury Brown highlights that LENZ is now firmly shifting into its commercial phase with VIZZ’s availability, which he regards as a significant inflection point for the company. He believes VIZZ offers a superior clinical profile versus earlier presbyopia treatments, particularly in terms of effectiveness and duration of benefit, and thus is well positioned in a large, underpenetrated market. While acknowledging that prescription growth from direct-to-consumer efforts may take time to show up in scripts, he sees the combination of strong physician adoption, targeted consumer marketing, and a differentiated product as supportive of meaningful long-term revenue growth. Collectively, these factors underpin his favorable risk-reward assessment and justify the Buy recommendation on LENZ shares.

Hanbury Brown covers the Healthcare sector, focusing on stocks such as Apellis Pharmaceuticals, LENZ Therapeutics, and ARS Pharmaceuticals. According to TipRanks, Hanbury Brown has an average return of 24.6% and a 60.00% success rate on recommended stocks.

In another report released on January 12, Citi also maintained a Buy rating on the stock with a $52.00 price target.