Ventyx Biosciences shares rise 12.97% intraday after H.C. Wainwright upgrades to Buy with $18 price target.

Ventyx Biosciences surged 12.97% intraday after H.C. Wainwright upgraded the stock to Buy with a $18 price target, citing robust Phase 2 trial results for its NLRP3 inhibitor VTX3232. The drug demonstrated a 78% reduction in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) in obesity patients, comparable to Novartis’ $1.4 billion IL-6 inhibitor acquisition. The upgrade, alongside Clear Street’s Buy rating and positive topline data, underscored VTX3232’s potential as a once-daily oral therapy with a strong safety profile. Analysts highlighted upcoming data for VTX2735 in 2025 and growing optimism, with six recent earnings upgrades and a 1.43 consensus rating. The firm’s emphasis on VTX3232’s differentiated mechanism and convenience over injectable competitors likely fueled the sharp intraday rally.