Jason McCarthy, an analyst from Maxim Group, maintained the Buy rating on MetaVia. The associated price target is $55.00.
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Jason McCarthy has given his Buy rating due to a combination of factors tied to MetaVia’s lead asset and its positioning in obesity and MASH. He highlights that new Phase 1 data for DA-1726 at eight weeks show robust and clinically meaningful reductions in body weight and waist circumference, along with improvements in fasting glucose and liver stiffness, all while maintaining a clean safety and tolerability profile with only mild to moderate gastrointestinal events. McCarthy emphasizes that the dual mechanism of DA-1726, engaging both the GLP-1 and glucagon receptors, appears to drive superior weight and central adiposity reductions compared with typical GLP-1 approaches, while also directly benefiting metabolic and hepatic parameters. He views this differentiated profile as particularly compelling given the growing recognition that obesity and MASH are intertwined indications that large pharma is aggressively targeting.
He also notes that MetaVia’s stock endured a sharp decline in 2025 amid broader skepticism toward smaller obesity/MASH players and the dominance of larger competitors, which he believes has left the shares disconnected from the improving clinical story. The latest eight-week data in higher-BMI patients, following earlier positive signals at four weeks, materially de-risks DA-1726 and supports advancing into 16-week titration studies at higher doses, with readouts expected in 2026. McCarthy argues that, against a backdrop of renewed biotech investor interest and active M&A in late 2025, MetaVia’s combination of DA-1726 and its additional asset DA-1241 gives the company sufficient strategic leverage to attract partners or acquirers. Taken together, these clinical, strategic, and valuation considerations underpin his Buy rating on MTVA as he expects 2026 to be a pivotal year for the shares.
In another report released yesterday, H.C. Wainwright also maintained a Buy rating on the stock with a $40.00 price target.