Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (ESPR)

In Q1 2025, Esperion reported a wider-than-expected loss per share, but total revenues surpassed estimates, leading to a stock decline. In Q2 2025, the company reported better-than-expected earnings and revenue, causing the stock to surge. A settlement agreement with Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, preventing generic versions of Nexletol and Nexlizet until 2040, resulted in a significant jump in Esperion's shares. A public offering of common stock at $2.50 per share led to a notable drop in the stock price. Esperion nominated ESP-2001 as its preclinical development candidate for primary sclerosing cholangitis. New analyses from the CLEAR Outcomes trial were announced to be presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2025.

Demand for Esperion Therapeutics' products can be influenced by seasonal market dynamics. Q1 2025 experienced muted script growth due to changes in Medicare Part D and patient deductible fulfillment. However, Q2 2025 saw a return to sequential double-digit quarterly prescription and revenue growth.

Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing oral therapies for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. The company operates within the Health Technology sector, specifically in the Pharmaceutical and Major Pharmaceutical Preparations industries. Its primary products include NEXLETOL and NEXLIZET tablets, which are FDA-approved, oral, once-daily, non-statin medicines for treating primary hyperlipidemia and reducing cardiovascular risk. Esperion is also advancing a preclinical pipeline, including ESP-2001, a highly-specific allosteric ATP citrate lyase (ACLY) inhibitor, as a preclinical development candidate for primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC).

Esperion Therapeutics has a global reach through its product approvals and strategic partnerships. Its treatments are approved in the U.S. and Europe. The company has partnered with Daiichi Sankyo Europe to commercialize its marketed products in the European Economic Area, UK, Turkey, and Switzerland. Launches have occurred in countries such as Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic, with further launches planned across the European Union. In Asia, Esperion has a partnership with Otsuka Pharmaceutical Company for the development and commercialization of bempedoic acid and its combination with ezetimibe in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam, Brazil, Macao, Cambodia, and Myanmar. Otsuka Pharmaceutical received approval for Nexletol in Japan in September 2025.

Esperion Therapeutics has maintained a positive brand reputation, driven by an expanded prescriber base, increased payer access, and the addition of NEXLETOL and NEXLIZET to the U.S. Department of Defense Uniform Formulary. Positive clinical trial insights from the CLEAR Outcomes trial continue to be presented, reinforcing the importance of their therapies for patients with elevated LDL-C. The nomination of ESP-2001 as a preclinical development candidate for PSC also highlights the company's commitment to addressing unmet medical needs and advancing its pipeline. Furthermore, successful patent settlements with generic drug manufacturers have safeguarded the market exclusivity of NEXLETOL and NEXLIZET until 2040.

Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. is owned by a mix of institutional shareholders, insiders, and retail investors. Institutional shareholders hold a significant portion, ranging from 48.72% to 98.70% of the company's stock. Major institutional owners include BlackRock, Inc., Vanguard Group Inc, Wasatch Advisors LP, Two Seas Capital LP, PenderFund Capital Management Ltd., Marshall Wace, Llp, Geode Capital Management, Llc, State Street Corp., Nuveen Asset Management, Llc, and Indaba Capital Management, L.P. Insiders hold 20.31% of the company, while retail investors account for 30.97%. Target N.V. Biotech is noted as the largest individual shareholder, owning 2.22% of the company's shares.