LIVE
ALNY
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. · Healthcare
$278.09
-5.51% this month
VERSUS
⟷
COMPARE
VRTX
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated · Healthcare
$451.63
+3.99% this month
Scoreboard verdict
Across AI score, momentum, valuation, upside, operating margin
ALNY
3
VRTX
1
Comparison scoreboard
ALNY LEADS 3/5AI Score
ALNY ✓57.2
VRTX 50.5
1Y Return
ALNY -10.96%
VRTX ✓+2.18%
Fwd P/E
ALNY ✓20.20
VRTX 20.72
Target Up.
ALNY ✓+56.90%
VRTX +23.32%
Op. Margin
ALNY N/A
VRTX 38.13%
Metrics last refreshed: 6/20/2026
Quick take
ALNY vs VRTX Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
Alnylam and Vertex are both leading rare disease biopharmaceutical companies using distinct therapeutic modalities: Alnylam uses RNA interference to silence disease-causing genes, while Vertex uses small molecules to correct or compensate for genetic defects. Both have strong commercial rare disease franchises and are diversifying into adjacent therapeutic categories.
ALNY vs VRTX is a comparison between the RNAi platform company building beyond its TTR franchise (Alnylam) and the CF small molecule near-monopolist expanding into pain, kidney, and gene therapy (Vertex) — both are quality rare disease investments but at different revenue scale and maturity levels.
Live analysis · updated 6/20/2026
ALNY holds the edge across 3 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. VRTX has delivered stronger 1-year price return (+2.18% vs -10.96%), though ALNY trades at the lower forward P/E (20.20x vs 20.72x). Analyst consensus implies meaningfully more upside for ALNY (+56.90%) than for VRTX (+23.32%).
Normalized 1Y performance
ALNY
VRTX
Recent returns
ALNY
VRTX
Analyst price targets & sentiment
ALNY · 25 analysts
STRONG BUYHOLDSTRONG SELL
Buy (1.8/5.0)
Price target range
analyst low$310.00
analyst high$550.00
analyst mean$436.32
current price$278.09
+56.9% upside to analyst mean
VRTX · 28 analysts
STRONG BUYHOLDSTRONG SELL
Buy (2.1/5.0)
Price target range
analyst low$330.00
analyst high$621.00
analyst mean$548.69
current price$451.63
+23.3% upside to analyst mean
Who should consider this stock?
ALNY may suit investors who:
- →prefer the leading RNAi therapeutics company with a platform capable of targeting genes that conventional drugs cannot address
- →value Amvuttra's growing hATTR amyloidosis franchise and Leqvio cardiovascular lipid-lowering partnership with Novartis
- →want exposure to a biotechnology platform that can address multiple rare and common diseases through gene silencing
- →are comfortable with smaller revenue scale than Vertex and a path to profitability requiring Amvuttra to reach $1B+ revenue
VRTX may suit investors who:
- →prefer the CF near-monopoly with the highest free cash flow margins in biotech from Trikafta's pricing power and market share
- →value VX-548 non-opioid pain and kidney disease pipeline as large new TAMs diversifying Vertex's revenue beyond CF
- →want a more financially mature rare disease company with $8B+ in revenue and strong balance sheet supporting pipeline investment
- →are comfortable with CF market saturation risk and the pipeline diversification execution required for long-term growth
Performance & AI score
| Metric | ALNY | VRTX |
|---|---|---|
| AI score | 57.2 | 50.5 |
| AI rank | #219 | #443 |
| Latest close | $278.09 | $451.63 |
| 1M return | -5.51% | +3.99% |
| 6M return | -29.08% | +0.47% |
| 1Y return | -10.96% | +2.18% |
$10,000 invested — hypothetical growth (dividends reinvested)
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | ALNY | VRTX |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $8.9K (-11.0%) started 2025-06-18 | $10.07K (+0.7%) started 2025-06-18 |
| 5Y ago | $15.72K (+57.2%) started 2021-06-18 | $24.06K (+140.6%) started 2021-06-21 |
| 10Y ago | $49.1K (+391.0%) started 2016-06-20 | $52.08K (+420.8%) started 2016-06-20 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
Valuation & upside potential
| Metric | ALNY | VRTX |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $37.13B | $112.92B |
| Trailing P/E | 70.05 | 26.39 |
| Forward P/E | 20.20 | 20.72 |
| Price/Sales | 8.66 | 10.42 |
| EV/Revenue | 8.77 | 8.81 |
| Analyst target | $436.32 | $548.69 |
| Target upside | +56.90% | +23.32% |
Growth, profitability & risk
| Metric | ALNY | VRTX |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth | 96.40% | 7.80% |
| Earnings growth | N/A | 61.40% |
| EPS growth | N/A | +61.40% |
| FCF margin | +4.78% | +22.78% |
| Operating margin | N/A | 38.13% |
| Profit margin | 12.55% | 35.51% |
| ROIC proxy | 90.36% | 24.20% |
| Return on equity | 90.36% | 24.20% |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | N/A |
| Beta | 0.27 | 0.31 |
| Debt/equity | 276.20 | 10.26 |
| Current ratio | 3.13 | 3.02 |
| Quick ratio | 2.88 | 2.38 |
Drawdown & downside risk
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
1Y risk snapshot
ALNY max drawdown43.39%
VRTX max drawdown23.56%
ALNY max wkly drop14.54%
VRTX max wkly drop20.71%
5Y risk snapshot
ALNY max drawdown43.39%
VRTX max drawdown29.07%
ALNY max wkly drop20.65%
VRTX max wkly drop20.71%
10Y risk snapshot
ALNY max drawdown59.95%
VRTX max drawdown41.60%
ALNY max wkly drop49.44%
VRTX max wkly drop22.29%
Performance metrics by period
| Period | Metric | ALNY | VRTX |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growth | -10.96% | +0.72% |
| CAGR | -10.97% | +0.72% | |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.25 | 0.07 | |
| Max drawdown | 43.39% | 23.56% | |
| Max daily drop | 6.87% | 20.60% | |
| Max wkly drop | 14.54% | 20.71% | |
| 5Y | Growth | +57.21% | +140.61% |
| CAGR | +9.47% | +19.23% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.32 | 0.61 | |
| Max drawdown | 43.39% | 29.07% | |
| Max daily drop | 17.10% | 20.60% | |
| Max wkly drop | 20.65% | 20.71% | |
| 10Y | Growth | +390.98% | +420.79% |
| CAGR | +17.26% | +17.95% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.48 | 0.53 | |
| Max drawdown | 59.95% | 41.60% | |
| Max daily drop | 48.49% | 20.70% | |
| Max wkly drop | 49.44% | 22.29% |
Business comparison
| Category | ALNY | VRTX |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated |
| Sector | Healthcare | Healthcare |
| Industry | N/A | Biotechnology |
| Core business | Alnylam is the leading RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics company, developing drugs that silence specific genes to treat rare diseases. Its commercial products include Onpattro (hATTR amyloidosis), Givlaari (AHP), Oxlumo (primary hyperoxaluria), and Leqvio (inclisiran for cardiovascular, partnered with Novartis). Amvuttra (vutrisiran) for hATTR is the most recent and largest commercial product. RNAi drugs silence messenger RNA from a target gene, providing a fundamentally different mechanism from small molecules or antibodies. | Vertex's Trikafta CF franchise generates $8B+ annually with near-monopoly in CF treatment for 90% of patients. Vertex is diversifying into pain (VX-548), kidney disease (IgA nephropathy), and gene editing (Casgevy). Vertex uses small molecule drug design as its primary modality — a contrast with Alnylam's RNAi platform approach. |
| Investor focus | Investors track Amvuttra revenue growth and global rollout, Leqvio cardiovascular lipid-lowering adoption (via Novartis partnership), pipeline programs in hypertension, complement disorders, and CNS, and the path to sustained profitability. | Investors focus on CF revenue sustainability, VX-548 pain launch, kidney pipeline clinical readouts, and Casgevy gene therapy adoption. |
ALNY strengths
- →Pioneer and leader in RNAi therapeutics — Alnylam's platform enables targeting genes that small molecules cannot inhibit
- →Amvuttra's subcutaneous quarterly dosing is a major patient convenience advantage over Onpattro's biweekly IV infusion in hATTR treatment
- →Leqvio partnership with Novartis provides a large commercial revenue stream in cardiovascular without Alnylam bearing US commercial costs
VRTX strengths
- →CF near-monopoly generates industry-leading margins and cash flows that fund pipeline diversification
- →VX-548 addresses the large and underserved non-opioid pain market with regulatory approval in hand
- →Casgevy gene editing for sickle cell and thalassemia represents a curative approach to serious hemoglobin disorders
Risks to watch — ALNY
- →hATTR amyloidosis market is competitive with Pfizer's Vyndamax/Vyndaqel stabilizers and BridgeBio's acoramidis competing alongside Alnylam's silencing approach
- →Revenue scale is still modest relative to Vertex — profitability requires Amvuttra reaching $1B+ annual revenue
- →Pipeline diversification beyond TTR diseases is important for long-term platform value, but early-stage programs are years from commercialization
Risks to watch — VRTX
- →CF market approaching saturation limits the organic growth of Vertex's primary revenue source
- →VX-548 competition from generic analgesics and entrenched opioids creates pricing pressure in the pain market
- →Pipeline diversification is necessary but early-stage results have shown some mixed clinical data in kidney disease
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