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Esperion (ESPR)
NASDAQ:ESPR
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Esperion
(NASDAQ:ESPR)
Rating:55Neutral
Price Target:
$1.50
▲(5.63%Upside)
Positive Factors
Global Expansion
Esperion announced a license and distribution agreement with HLS Therapeutics for the commercialization of NEXLETOL and NEXLIZET in Canada, reflecting commitment to expand BDA's global access.
Legal Settlement
Esperion has secured a legal settlement preventing companies from marketing a generic version of NEXLETOL in the U.S. prior to April 19, 2040, ensuring market exclusivity.
Sales Growth
Early trends in 2Q25 BDA sales are encouraging, with prescription volume tracking approximately 8% higher than 1Q25.
Negative Factors
Competition
Esperion is making strides to position BDA as the drug of choice over statins and PCSK9 inhibitors, which indicates ongoing competition in the drug market.
Legal Risks
Settlements with ANDA filers help avoid costly and lengthy legal processes typically associated with patent disputes, highlighting potential legal risks.
Esperion (ESPR) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)
Market Cap
$281.44M
Dividend YieldN/A
Average Volume (3M)4.30M
Price to Earnings (P/E)―
Beta (1Y)2.62
Revenue Growth12.99%
EPS Growth17.78%
CountryUS
Employees304
SectorHealthcare
Sector Strength37
IndustryDrug Manufacturers - Specialty & Generic
Share Statistics
EPS (TTM)-0.21
Shares Outstanding198,199,460
10 Day Avg. Volume7,271,075
30 Day Avg. Volume4,296,691
Financial Highlights & Ratios
PEG Ratio<0.01
Price to Book (P/B)-0.72
Price to Sales (P/S)0.00
P/FCF Ratio-3.09
Enterprise Value/Market Cap1.69
Enterprise Value/RevenueN/A
Enterprise Value/Gross ProfitN/A
Enterprise Value/Ebitda-2.36
Forecast
1Y Price Target
$9.00Price Target Upside533.80% Upside
Rating ConsensusStrong Buy
Number of Analyst Covering3
Esperion Business Overview & Revenue Model
Company DescriptionEsperion Therapeutics, Inc., a pharmaceutical company, develops and commercializes medicines for the treatment of patients with elevated low density lipoprotein cholesterol. Its lead product candidates are NEXLETOL (bempedoic acid) and NEXLIZET (bempedoic acid and ezetimibe) tablets for the treatment of patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease or heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. The company has a license and collaboration agreement with Daiichi Sankyo Europe GmbH; and Serometrix to in-license its oral, small molecule PCSK9 inhibitor program. Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. was incorporated in 2008 and is headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
How the Company Makes MoneyEsperion generates revenue primarily through the sale of its FDA-approved cholesterol-lowering medications, NEXLETOL and NEXLIZET, across various markets. The company earns money by distributing these products to healthcare providers, pharmacies, and hospitals, where they are prescribed to patients with high LDL-C levels who are either statin-intolerant or require additional cholesterol-lowering treatments. Esperion also engages in strategic partnerships and collaborations with other pharmaceutical companies to expand the reach and commercialization of its products in international markets, contributing to its revenue streams. Additionally, the company may receive milestone payments and royalties from these partnerships, which further bolster its financial performance.
Esperion Earnings Call Summary
Earnings Call Date:May 06, 2025
(Q1-2025)
| % Change Since: 35.24%|
Next Earnings Date:Aug 05, 2025
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The earnings call presented a strong overall performance with significant revenue growth, expanded market access, and key pipeline advancements. However, challenges such as seasonal sales impacts and confusion due to policy changes were acknowledged. The highlights, particularly the revenue growth and guideline inclusion, outweigh the lowlights.Q1-2025 Updates
Positive Updates
Significant Revenue Growth
Total revenue for Q1 2025 grew 63% year-over-year to $65 million, after adjusting for a one-time milestone received in Q1 2024. US net product revenue grew 41% year-over-year to $34.9 million.
Expanded Market Access
Field reimbursement support team expanded threefold to 15 payer access specialists, leading to over 30 plans removing prior authorizations and implementing electronic step edits.
Inclusion in ACC-AHA Guidelines
NEXLETOL and NEXLIZET added to the 2025 ACC-AHA Multi Society Guidelines with level 1A and 2A recommendations for patients with acute coronary syndrome.
International Market Growth
Royalty revenue from Daiichi Sankyo Europe increased 8% from Q4 2024 to $10.5 million in Q1 2025. Esperion also entered partnerships with CSL Seqirus in Australia and New Zealand.
Pipeline Advancements
Declaration of lead indication in primary sclerosing cholangitis, targeting a $1 billion market opportunity, reflecting expansion into high-need, high-value indications.
Negative Updates
Seasonal Sales Impact
Q1 product revenue growth in the US was impacted by changes to Medicare Part D and patient deductible requirements, causing lower product revenue as patients fulfill their insurance deductibles.
Collaboration Revenue Decline
Collaboration revenue was $30.1 million, a decrease of approximately 73% compared to Q1 2024, driven by the absence of a one-time settlement agreement milestone with DSE.
Confusion Due to Inflation Reduction Act
Confusion around the Inflation Reduction Act and related adjustments caused added difficulty in the market, impacting prescription growth and consumer understanding.
Company Guidance
During Esperion Therapeutics' first-quarter 2025 earnings call, significant metrics highlighted included a 63% year-over-year total revenue growth to $65 million, excluding a one-time milestone from the previous year. U.S. net product revenue grew 41% year-over-year to $34.9 million, despite a flat lipid market impacted by seasonal Medicare Part D changes and higher patient out-of-pocket costs. The company expanded its field reimbursement support team threefold to enhance physician education on favorable reimbursement landscapes. Esperion's bempedoic acid products, NEXLETOL and NEXLIZET, received notable inclusion in the 2025 ACC-AHA Multi Society Guidelines, providing strong guidance for statin-intolerant patients. Early Q2 2025 trends show prescription growth tracking approximately 8% higher than Q1. The company is also advancing a triple combination therapy anticipated for commercialization in 2027, aiming to lower LDL cholesterol by over 60%. Internationally, royalty revenue from Daiichi Sankyo Europe increased 8% to $10.5 million, showcasing strong global growth. Financially, Esperion ended the quarter with $114.6 million in cash and reiterated its full-year operating expense guidance of $215 million to $235 million.Esperion Financial Statement Overview
Summary
Esperion demonstrates strong revenue growth but faces significant challenges with profitability and financial stability. Negative equity and high leverage are concerning, alongside persistent negative cash flow despite some improvements.Income Statement
Esperion has shown significant revenue growth from 2023 to 2024, with a Revenue Growth Rate of 185.6%. However, the company is still facing challenges with profitability as indicated by the negative Net Profit Margin of -15.6% in 2024. The Gross Profit Margin improved to 79.3%, but the negative EBIT and EBITDA margins reflect ongoing operational challenges.45
Neutral
Balance Sheet
The balance sheet reveals a concerning negative Stockholders' Equity of -$388.7 million, indicating financial instability. The Debt-to-Equity Ratio is not calculable due to negative equity, highlighting high leverage. The Equity Ratio is also negative, suggesting that liabilities exceed assets, which poses a significant risk.30
Negative
Cash Flow
Esperion's cash flow situation is challenging, with a negative Free Cash Flow of -$23.97 million in 2024. The Operating Cash Flow to Net Income Ratio is negative, indicating cash flow issues relative to net losses. However, the company has managed to reduce its negative Free Cash Flow compared to previous years, showing some improvement.40
Negative
| Breakdown | Dec 2024 | Dec 2023 | Dec 2022 | Dec 2021 | Dec 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Income Statement | |||||
| Total Revenue | 332.31M | 116.33M | 75.47M | 78.45M | 227.55M |
| Gross Profit | 263.71M | 73.07M | 48.51M | 64.23M | 225.16M |
| EBITDA | 7.57M | -150.11M | -176.35M | -222.14M | -120.33M |
| Net Income | -51.74M | -209.25M | -287.82M | -318.82M | -166.19M |
Balance Sheet | |||||
| Total Assets | 343.82M | 205.80M | 247.94M | 381.59M | 353.26M |
| Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments | 144.76M | 82.25M | 124.78M | 208.89M | 304.96M |
| Total Debt | 297.60M | 540.95M | 260.95M | 260.20M | 185.41M |
| Total Liabilities | 732.54M | 660.79M | 571.72M | 578.53M | 449.39M |
| Stockholders Equity | -388.72M | -454.99M | -1.34B | -1.11B | -838.82M |
Cash Flow | |||||
| Free Cash Flow | -23.97M | -135.49M | -174.83M | -263.81M | -98.55M |
| Operating Cash Flow | -23.65M | -135.49M | -174.83M | -263.81M | -85.18M |
| Investing Cash Flow | -317.00K | 42.50M | 8.10M | -50.48M | 21.36M |
| Financing Cash Flow | 86.48M | 50.46M | 32.61M | 268.22M | 201.72M |
Esperion Technical Analysis
Positive
1.42
Price Trends
1.13
Positive
1.15
Positive
1.67
Negative
Market Momentum
0.10
Negative
60.41
Neutral
32.48
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For ESPR, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 1.42 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 1.28, above the 50-day MA of 1.13, and below the 200-day MA of 1.67, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of 0.10 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 60.41 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 32.48 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for ESPR.
Esperion Risk Analysis
Esperion disclosed 60 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Esperion 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 2 New Risks
1.
We have in the past relied in part on sales of our common shares through our at-the-market (ATM) offering program. Increased volatility and decreases in market prices of equity securities generally and of our common shares in particular may have an adverse impact on our willingness and/or ability to continue to sell our common shares through our ATM offering. Decreases in these sales would/could affect the cost or availability of equity capital, which could in turn have an adverse effect on our business, including current operations, future growth, revenues, net income and the market prices of our common shares. Q3, 2022
2.
Recent volatility in capital markets and lower market prices for our securities may affect our ability to access new capital through sales of shares of our common stock or issuance of indebtedness, which may materially harm our liquidity, limit our ability to grow our business, pursue acquisitions or improve our operating infrastructure and restrict our ability to compete in our markets. Q3, 2022
Esperion Peers Comparison
Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (51)
Financial Indicators
Name | Overall Rating | Market Cap | P/E Ratio | ROE | Dividend Yield | Revenue Growth | EPS Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
64 Neutral | $171.22M | ― | -48.14% | ― | -29.69% | -105.88% | |
55 Neutral | $281.44M | ― | 23.44% | ― | 12.99% | 17.78% | |
54 Neutral | $319.15M | ― | -21.63% | ― | -18.56% | 76.88% | |
51 Neutral | $7.30B | 0.27 | -62.71% | 2.44% | 15.02% | 0.60% | |
51 Neutral | $267.32M | ― | -83.58% | ― | 6.88% | -17.54% | |
48 Neutral | $381.42M | ― | 77.48% | ― | 5.29% | -37.31% | |
45 Neutral | $144.02M | 85.74 | -8.02% | ― | -23.18% | 97.12% |
* Healthcare Sector Average
Performance Comparison
ESPR
Esperion
1.42
-0.64
-31.07%
EBS
Emergent Biosolutions
5.88
-4.23
-41.84%
IRWD
Ironwood Pharma
0.76
-5.77
-88.36%
LFCR
Lifecore Biomedical
7.00
1.39
24.78%
AQST
Aquestive Therapeutics
3.84
0.40
11.63%
DERM
Journey Medical Corp
7.35
2.12
40.54%
Esperion Corporate Events
Executive/Board ChangesBusiness Operations and Strategy
Esperion Expands Board with New Appointment
Positive
Jul 1, 2025
On July 1, 2025, Esperion announced the appointment of Craig Thompson, CEO of Cerevance, to its Board of Directors, expanding the board to eight members. Thompson’s extensive experience in biopharmaceutical leadership is expected to enhance Esperion’s strategic direction as it continues to innovate in cardiovascular and cardiometabolic drug development, potentially impacting its market position and stakeholder interests.
The most recent analyst rating on (ESPR) stock is a Buy with a $16.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Esperion stock, see the ESPR Stock Forecast page.
Shareholder MeetingsBusiness Operations and Strategy
Esperion Gains Strong Shareholder Support at Annual Meeting
Positive
Jun 2, 2025
On May 29, 2025, Esperion held its Annual Meeting where stockholders voted on several key proposals. These included the election of two Class III director nominees, approval of executive compensation, ratification of Ernst & Young LLP as the independent accounting firm for 2025, and an amendment to increase shares under the 2022 Plan. All proposals were approved, indicating strong shareholder support for the company’s strategic decisions.
The most recent analyst rating on (ESPR) stock is a Buy with a $16.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Esperion stock, see the ESPR Stock Forecast page.
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.