Is Vertex Pharmaceuticals' Empire in Trouble?

Over the past 10 years, Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: VRTX) has delivered market-beating returns. The company owes this performance to its dominance in the cystic fibrosis (CF) drug market. Vertex Pharmaceuticals essentially has a monopoly in this area. That's a good thing so long as the biotech can protect its business from new market entrants, but if it fails to do so, the company could encounter significant challenges. Is that where Vertex Pharmaceuticals is headed? Let's find out. Image source: Getty Images.Several companies are developing newer CF medicines to compete with Vertex's. The list includes Krystal Biotech, whose candidate, KB407, has performed well in phase 1 studies. KB407 is a gene therapy that targets the underlying causes of CF and helps clear the thick mucus that accumulates in patients' organs while restoring lung function. Importantly, it could work for all CF patients, whereas Vertex Pharmaceuticals' medicines target only those with certain mutations.Continue readingWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei MotleyFool Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei MotleyFool