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Achieve Life Sciences (ACHV)
NASDAQ:ACHV

Achieve Life Sciences (ACHV) AI Stock Analysis

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ACHV

Achieve Life Sciences

(NASDAQ:ACHV)

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Neutral 55 (OpenAI - 5.2)
Rating:55Neutral
Price Target:
$4.50
▲(2.51% Upside)
Action:UpgradedDate:01/28/26
The score is held back primarily by weak financial performance (no revenue, heavy losses, and significant cash burn), partially offset by a healthier balance sheet and a positive, catalyst-driven earnings call centered on NDA progress and expedited review potential. Technicals are mixed/neutral and valuation support is limited due to negative earnings.
Positive Factors
NDA acceptance and PDUFA date
NDA acceptance and a set PDUFA date materially advance the company from development to regulatory adjudication, reducing binary uncertainty. A defined approval timeline enables planning for manufacturing scale, payer engagements, and commercial investments that underpin sustained revenue potential post-approval.
Expedited review via priority voucher
Receiving a Commissioner's National Priority Voucher creates a structurally faster regulatory path for the vaping indication, potentially making Achieve first-to-market. This durable first-mover and timing advantage can shape formulary positioning, prescribing patterns, and long-term market share in a nascent vaping cessation segment.
Improved balance sheet and manageable leverage
Recovery to positive equity and relatively low debt provide lasting financial flexibility for a clinical-stage biotech. Manageable leverage lowers bankruptcy risk and supports near-term regulatory and commercialization spending without excessive reliance on high-cost debt, preserving strategic optionality during buildout.
Negative Factors
No revenue and ongoing cash burn
Zero product revenue and a sustained ~-$40.7M annual cash burn are structural constraints that force continual external financing until commercialization. Persistent losses erode capital, increase dilution risk, and limit ability to invest in commercial scale-up or ancillary programs without dilutive raises or partnerships.
Need for additional funding for vaping study
An explicit funding gap for the vaping study is a durable execution risk: raising capital can dilute existing shareholders, change capital allocation priorities, or delay study completion. Dependence on external financing complicates long-term planning and could impair timely market entry if markets tighten.
Commercial execution complexity from staggered launches
Staggered potential launches for vaping and smoking indications create structural commercialization challenges: separate go-to-market timing, messaging, supply chain and payer strategies increase operating complexity. For a small team, this raises sustained execution risk and incremental cost to capture both markets effectively.

Achieve Life Sciences (ACHV) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

Achieve Life Sciences Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionAchieve Life Sciences, Inc., a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company, develops and commercializes of cytisinicline for smoking cessation and nicotine addiction in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The company offers cytisinicline, a plant-based alkaloid that interacts with nicotine receptors in the brain that reduce the severity of nicotine withdrawal symptoms. It has license agreements with Sopharma AD and University of Bristol. The company is based in Vancouver, Canada.
How the Company Makes MoneyAchieve Life Sciences generates revenue primarily through the development and potential future commercialization of its lead product, cytisinicline, which is currently in clinical trials. The company aims to earn income from the successful approval and sale of cytisinicline, targeting partnerships, licensing agreements, and collaborations with larger pharmaceutical companies to aid in distribution and marketing. Additionally, Achieve seeks funding through public and private investments to support its research and development activities. As it is still in the clinical stage, the company's current revenues are limited, and its financial strategy relies on securing further investment and eventual drug approval for market entry.

Achieve Life Sciences Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Nov 06, 2025
(Q3-2025)
|
% Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Mar 12, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The earnings call highlighted significant regulatory achievements and strategic advancements, particularly in gaining an expedited review for vaping cessation. However, funding needs for further clinical trials and challenges in aligning commercial strategies for two different market entries pose potential risks.
Q3-2025 Updates
Positive Updates
FDA Priority Voucher for Vaping Indication
Achieve Life Sciences received a Commissioner's National Priority Voucher from the FDA for cytisinicline in vaping cessation, allowing for expedited NDA review and potential early market entry.
Regulatory Milestones Achieved
FDA accepted the NDA for cytisinicline for smoking cessation with a PDUFA date set for June 20, 2026. A 120-day safety review was also submitted on time.
Positive Outcomes from COPD Studies
Smokers with COPD had higher quit rates on cytisinicline compared to placebo in Phase III trials, indicating cytisinicline's potential to aid a difficult-to-treat population.
Commercial Strategy and AI Integration
Achieve is integrating AI-driven tools for precision targeting in its commercialization strategy, enhancing engagement and optimizing resource allocation.
Strong Financial Position
As of September 30, 2025, Achieve had $48.1 million in cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities, with a cash runway extending into the second half of 2026.
Negative Updates
Need for Additional Funding
Additional capital will be required to fund the vaping study, as current resources do not cover this expense.
Challenges in Market Entry Timing
The potential launch of cytisinicline for vaping may occur earlier than the smoking cessation launch, posing challenges in aligning commercial infrastructure.
Company Guidance
During the Achieve Life Sciences Third Quarter 2025 Earnings Conference Call, significant advancements were highlighted regarding the company's primary objectives, particularly the NDA submission, acceptance, and anticipated approval for cytisinicline, a treatment aimed at nicotine dependence and smoking cessation. A notable achievement was the FDA's award of a Commissioner's National Priority Voucher (CNPV) for the e-cigarette or vaping indication, expediting the NDA review timeline to 1-2 months from the standard 10-12 months. This expedited timeline could potentially see the launch of cytisinicline 8 months earlier, positioning it as the first FDA-approved treatment for the 60% of people desiring to quit vaping. The FDA has set a PDUFA date of June 20, 2026, for the smoking cessation indication, following the acceptance of the NDA and the timely submission of a 120-day safety review. Additionally, the company has emphasized its data-driven digital commercialization strategy, leveraging AI and machine learning to optimize engagement across healthcare professionals, patients, and payers, ensuring a robust and targeted launch strategy for cytisinicline.

Achieve Life Sciences Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Income statement and cash flow are weak (no revenue, sizable net loss and ~-$40.7M TTM free cash flow burn), but the balance sheet is a relative positive with recovered positive equity (~$33.6M) and manageable debt (~$10.0M; ~0.30 debt-to-equity). Overall, funding dependence remains a key risk until commercialization.
Income Statement
9
Very Negative
TTM (Trailing-Twelve-Months) results show no revenue and continued heavy losses (net loss of about $52.3M; EBIT roughly -$52.3M), indicating the business remains in a pre-commercial/early-stage profile with limited operating leverage. Losses have widened versus 2023 and are also worse than 2024 annual levels, which points to a weaker near-term earnings trajectory. The main positive is that losses appear driven by operating spend rather than financial leverage, but profitability is still far from breakeven.
Balance Sheet
43
Neutral
Balance sheet strength has improved meaningfully versus 2023, when equity was negative, to positive equity of about $33.6M in TTM (Trailing-Twelve-Months). Leverage looks manageable with total debt of about $10.0M and a debt-to-equity ratio around 0.30 (improved from ~0.48 in 2024 annual), suggesting the company is not overly debt-funded. The key weakness is still poor returns on equity due to ongoing net losses, and the company’s capital base could be pressured if losses persist.
Cash Flow
12
Very Negative
Cash generation remains weak with TTM (Trailing-Twelve-Months) operating cash flow and free cash flow both around -$40.7M, indicating a sizable cash burn that requires continued funding. Free cash flow improved versus 2024 annual (less negative), but it is still materially worse than 2023 levels, highlighting volatility and an elevated burn rate. A positive is that free cash flow broadly tracks net income (both negative), but the overall cash profile remains a central risk.
BreakdownTTMDec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021Dec 2020
Income Statement
Total Revenue0.000.000.000.000.000.00
Gross Profit-117.00K-229.00K0.000.000.00-255.00K
EBITDA-51.35M-37.42M-26.73M-40.33M-32.90M-14.47M
Net Income-52.35M-39.83M-29.82M-42.35M-33.15M-14.66M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets52.04M38.63M19.37M29.97M47.52M40.30M
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments48.11M34.36M15.55M24.72M43.02M35.85M
Total Debt9.96M9.96M16.73M16.20M14.99M169.00K
Total Liabilities18.43M17.73M20.82M21.67M19.47M3.01M
Stockholders Equity33.62M20.90M-1.45M8.30M28.04M37.29M
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow-40.68M-29.77M-24.50M-37.57M-29.44M-13.49M
Operating Cash Flow-40.68M-29.77M-24.48M-37.57M-29.44M-13.47M
Investing Cash Flow17.12M-21.58M-21.00K0.000.00-17.00K
Financing Cash Flow45.95M48.53M15.28M19.32M36.61M32.68M

Achieve Life Sciences Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Positive
Last Price4.39
Price Trends
50DMA
4.70
Negative
100DMA
4.51
Negative
200DMA
3.71
Positive
Market Momentum
MACD
-0.15
Negative
RSI
47.69
Neutral
STOCH
58.60
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For ACHV, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 4.39 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 4.27, below the 50-day MA of 4.70, and above the 200-day MA of 3.71, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of -0.15 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 47.69 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 58.60 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for ACHV.

Achieve Life Sciences Risk Analysis

Achieve Life Sciences disclosed 65 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Achieve Life Sciences reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks

Achieve Life Sciences Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (51)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
55
Neutral
$233.70M-3.35-161.08%-22.06%
54
Neutral
$295.12M-12.53-31.08%158.54%66.90%
51
Neutral
$7.86B-0.30-43.30%2.27%22.53%-2.21%
49
Neutral
$148.19M-2.00-260.65%3.70%
48
Neutral
$125.64M-2.79-95.29%-67.38%-1076.54%
47
Neutral
$178.28M-1.86-26.69%25.84%
41
Neutral
$23.96M-0.25-240.48%2.36%
* Healthcare Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
ACHV
Achieve Life Sciences
4.62
1.59
52.48%
CLLS
Cellectis SA
4.18
2.78
198.57%
SPRO
Spero Therapeutics
2.22
1.43
181.01%
MIST
Milestone Pharmaceuticals
1.73
-0.02
-1.14%
NKTX
Nkarta
2.59
0.79
43.89%
IOBT
IO Biotech
0.34
-0.66
-65.90%
Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.Date of analysis: Jan 28, 2026