ALK's ITULAZAX Receives NICE Recommendation in the UK

ALK's tree pollen tablet, ITULAZAX, has been recommended by NICE for use in the UK health system, making it eligible for general reimbursement through the NHS. This marks the second NICE approval for ALK's sublingual allergy immunotherapy products in 2025, following the approval of ACARIZAX. The tablet is now available as a treatment option for patients with tree pollen allergy, addressing the underutilization of allergy immunotherapy in the UK. The NICE approval does not affect ALK's financial guidance for 2025.

Alaska Air Group (ALK) is set to announce its quarterly earnings, with analysts projecting a significant drop in earnings per share (EPS) compared to the same period last year. According to Wall Street analysts, ALK is expected to report EPS of $1.56 per share, a 38.8% decline year over year [1]. Despite the expected decline in EPS, revenues are projected to reach $3.66 billion, indicating a 26.3% increase from the same quarter last year.

The consensus EPS estimate has been revised downward by 4.1% over the past 30 days, reflecting analysts' reconsideration of their initial forecasts. This downward revision underscores the importance of tracking changes in earnings projections, as these revisions can influence investor sentiment and stock price movements.

Key metrics forecasted by analysts for ALK's Q2 performance include:
- Revenue from Mileage Plan other: $219.52 million, up 26.2% year over year.
- Revenue from Cargo and other: $137.72 million, up 91.3% year over year.
- Passenger Load Factor: 85.2%, compared to 84.1% last year.
- Available seat miles (ASM): 22.96 billion, up from 18.20 billion last year.
- Revenue passenger miles (RPM): 19.59 billion, up from 15.31 billion last year.

Despite the expected decline in EPS, ALK's stock has shown resilience, with shares returning +13.3% over the past month compared to the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +5.4% change. However, ALK currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell), suggesting potential underperformance relative to the overall market in the near future [1].

Separately, ALK has made significant strides in the UK healthcare market. The company's tree pollen tablet, ITULAZAX, has been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for use in the UK health system, making it eligible for general reimbursement through the NHS [2]. This marks the second NICE approval for ALK's sublingual allergy immunotherapy products in 2025, following the approval of ACARIZAX. The approval of ITULAZAX addresses the underutilization of allergy immunotherapy in the UK and does not affect ALK's financial guidance for 2025.

References:
[1] https://finance.yahoo.com/news/countdown-alaska-air-alk-q2-131502670.html
[2] https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/07/21/3118560/0/en/ALK-s-tree-pollen-tablet-ITULAZAX-now-recommended-by-NICE-for-use-in-the-UK-health-system.html