Promising Phase 2 Results for Ratutrelvir Highlight Clinical and Market Differentiation in COVID-19 Treatment

In a report released today, Brandon Folkes from H.C. Wainwright reiterated a Buy rating on Traws Pharma, with a price target of $8.00.

Brandon Folkes has given his Buy rating due to a combination of factors highlighted by promising interim results from Traws Pharma’s Phase 2 study evaluating ratutrelvir against PAXLOVID for COVID-19 treatment. Ratutrelvir demonstrated a comparable ability to alleviate COVID-19 symptoms while avoiding potential drug-drug interactions that prevent patients, especially those with comorbidities or contraindications, from accessing PAXLOVID. Additionally, the extended 10-day dosing strategy of ratutrelvir may contribute to more complete viral clearance and lower rebound rates compared to PAXLOVID’s 5-day regimen, with potential implications for reducing Long COVID risks.
Ratutrelvir showed favorable tolerability with fewer adverse events compared to PAXLOVID, which is commonly associated with side effects such as dysgeusia and dizziness. Importantly, no symptom or virologic rebound events have been observed in ratutrelvir-treated patients so far, whereas rebound was reported in one case among the PAXLOVID cohort. The findings, coupled with its potential relevance to a subset of COVID-19 patients without viable oral antiviral options, underscore the clinical and market differentiation of ratutrelvir, supporting Folkes’s recommendation and the reiterated $8 price target for Traws Pharma’s stock.

According to TipRanks, Folkes is a 2-star analyst with an average return of 1.0% and a 42.55% success rate. Folkes covers the Healthcare sector, focusing on stocks such as MannKind, Achieve Life Sciences, and ANI Pharmaceuticals.