What is brensocatib and what is its mechanism for bronchiectasis?

DPP1 biology: dipeptidyl peptidase 1 (DPP1, also called cathepsin C) is an enzyme in bone marrow that activates serine proteases (neutrophil elastase, proteinase 3, cathepsin G) in developing neutrophils; these serine proteases are packaged into neutrophil granules; when activated neutrophils degranulate at sites of inflammation, they cause tissue damage; in inflammatory diseases like bronchiectasis where neutrophil-driven inflammation is excessive, these proteases contribute significantly to tissue destruction. Brensocatib mechanism: brensocatib is an oral, once-daily DPP1 inhibitor that reduces activation of serine proteases during neutrophil maturation in bone marrow; neutrophils still form and circulate but carry less active serine protease, reducing tissue-damaging inflammation at bronchiectasis sites. Bronchiectasis: permanent dilation of the bronchial tubes caused by repeated infections and inflammation; approximately 340,000-500,000 U.S. patients; the damaged airways trap mucus, which traps bacteria, causing more infections in a vicious cycle; there are no FDA-approved drugs specifically for reducing bronchiectasis exacerbations. WILLOW Phase 2 data: brensocatib demonstrated a 36% reduction in pulmonary exacerbations vs. placebo at the 25mg dose; this supported the Phase 3 ASPEN trial.

What services does Azenta provide and who are its customers?

Genomics Services: Azenta's genomics division (operating under the GENEWIZ brand and related services) provides outsourced genomics and OMICS analysis — Sanger sequencing, next-generation sequencing (whole genome, whole exome, RNA-seq), single-cell genomics, spatial transcriptomics, proteomics, and bioinformatics; customers send biological samples (DNA, RNA, cells) and receive processed data and analysis; typical pharma uses include biomarker discovery, clinical trial companion diagnostics, patient subgroup identification, and target identification. Sample Management: automated biorepository systems (robotic systems for storing and retrieving biological samples at -20°C to -196°C); sample management software (inventory tracking, chain of custody); sample logistics and storage services (Azenta stores customer samples in its own cryogenic repositories). Customers: large pharmaceutical companies (Pfizer, Merck, AstraZeneca), large biotech companies (Amgen, Biogen), CROs, and academic medical centers; pharmaceutical R&D spending is the primary driver of Azenta's revenue.

What is liposome drug delivery and how does it benefit ARIKAYCE?

Liposomes are tiny spherical vesicles made of a phospholipid bilayer (the same material as cell membranes); liposomes can encapsulate drug molecules and deliver them directly into cells by fusing with cell membranes; they can also be engineered with specific surface properties to target particular cell types. ARIKAYCE's liposome targeting: ARIKAYCE's specific liposome formulation is preferentially taken up by alveolar macrophages (the lung's primary immune cells and the cell type where MAC bacteria hide and replicate inside the cell); because MAC lives inside macrophages, killing MAC requires getting antibiotics inside macrophages in high concentrations; ARIKAYCE delivers amikacin concentrations inside macrophages approximately 10-20x higher than systemic amikacin could achieve. Pharmacological advantage: because amikacin's target (MAC bacteria inside macrophages) is reached at much higher drug concentrations, ARIKAYCE can kill MAC that survives standard systemic antibiotic therapy; this directly explains the 3x improvement in culture conversion in the CONVERT trial.

Last updated: August 5, 2026

brimindinvest.com / compare / insm-vs-azta-bioLIVE

INSM

Insmed Incorporated · Healthcare - Specialty Commercial/Clinical Pharma (Rare Disease)

$99.02

-11.22% this month

VERSUS

⟷

COMPARE

AZTA

Azenta, Inc. · Healthcare - Life Science Services and Equipment

$31.82

+23.96% this month

Scoreboard verdict

Across AI score, momentum, valuation, upside, operating margin

INSM

2

AZTA

2

MIXED SETUP

Comparison scoreboard

MIXED SETUP

AI Score

INSM ✓66.7

AZTA 32.1

1Y Return

INSM -11.28%

AZTA ✓+18.29%

Fwd P/E

INSM 793.68

AZTA ✓51.82

Target Up.

INSM ✓+97.89%

AZTA -12.63%

Op. Margin

INSM N/A

AZTA N/A

Metrics last refreshed: 8/5/2026

Quick take

INSM vs AZTA Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside

INSM (Insmed) and AZTA (Azenta) are both healthcare companies serving the pharmaceutical industry in different roles — Insmed is a commercial rare disease pharma company with approved ARIKAYCE for refractory MAC lung disease and brensocatib pipeline candidate for bronchiectasis, while Azenta is a life science services company providing genomics services and sample management automation to drug development organizations.

INSM vs AZTA is rare disease commercial pharma with pipeline binary risk on brensocatib (Insmed's approved ARIKAYCE rare lung infection revenue, DPP1 inhibitor brensocatib Phase 3 bronchiectasis catalyst, and liposome delivery technology — managing aminoglycoside side effects and brensocatib data dependence) versus life science services company in strategic transition to pure-play (Azenta's sample management recurring services and genomics sequencing for pharma R&D — managing genomics commoditization and pharma R&D spending sensitivity).

Live analysis · updated 8/5/2026

INSM and AZTA are closely matched — they split the tracked metrics evenly. AZTA leads on both 1-year return (+18.29%) and forward P/E quality (51.82x vs 793.68x for INSM), a relatively favorable combination of momentum and valuation. Analyst consensus implies meaningfully more upside for INSM (+97.89%) than for AZTA (-12.63%).

Normalized 1Y performance

INSM

AZTA

Recent returns

INSM

AZTA

Analyst price targets & sentiment

INSM · 22 analysts

STRONG BUYHOLDSTRONG SELL

Strong Buy (1.2/5.0)

Price target range

analyst low$140.00
analyst high$243.00
analyst mean$195.95
current price$99.02

+97.9% upside to analyst mean

AZTA · 5 analysts

Price target range

analyst low$20.00
analyst high$33.00
analyst mean$27.80
current price$31.82

-12.6% upside to analyst mean

Who should consider this stock?

INSM may suit investors who:

→Want commercial rare disease pharma exposure through the only FDA-approved MAC lung disease treatment with orphan drug exclusivity and first-mover advantage
→Believe brensocatib's DPP1 inhibition for bronchiectasis addresses a chronic neutrophilic inflammatory lung disease with a much larger patient population than MAC lung disease
→Accept clinical-stage binary risk on brensocatib Phase 3 ASPEN data in exchange for the potential to build a major rare respiratory disease franchise beyond ARIKAYCE

AZTA may suit investors who:

→Want recurring life science services exposure through mission-critical sample management and genomics services to pharmaceutical and biotech drug development customers with high switching costs
→Value Azenta's strategic transformation to pure-play life sciences after divesting semiconductor automation for clearer sector-focused positioning
→See sample management as a high-switching-cost recurring service providing stable revenue as pharma companies store irreplaceable research samples in Azenta's cryogenic biorepositories

Performance & AI score

Performance & AI score
Metric	INSM	AZTA
AI score	66.7	32.1
AI rank	#61	#2028
Latest close	$99.02	$31.82
1M return	-11.22%	+23.96%
6M return	-36.99%	-13.79%
1Y return	-11.28%	+18.29%

$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?

$10,000 invested — hypothetical growth (dividends reinvested)
Period	INSM	AZTA
1Y ago	$8.87K (-11.3%) started 2025-08-05	$11.83K (+18.3%) started 2025-08-05
5Y ago	$39.12K (+291.2%) started 2021-08-05	$3.53K (-64.7%) started 2021-08-05
10Y ago	$84.42K (+744.2%) started 2016-08-05	$29.06K (+190.6%) started 2016-08-05

Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.

Valuation & upside potential

Valuation & upside potential
Metric	INSM	AZTA
Market cap	$21.46B	$1.47B
Trailing P/E	N/A	N/A
Forward P/E	793.68	51.82
Price/Sales	26.19	2.46
EV/Revenue	25.45	1.76
Analyst target	$195.95	$27.80
Target upside	+97.89%	-12.63%

Growth, profitability & risk

Growth, profitability & risk
Metric	INSM	AZTA
Revenue growth	229.60%	1.00%
Earnings growth	N/A	N/A
EPS growth	N/A	N/A
FCF margin	-73.97%	+16.99%
Operating margin	N/A	N/A
Profit margin	-144.44%	-29.06%
ROIC proxy	-294.46%	-6.81%
Return on equity	-294.46%	-6.81%
Dividend yield	0.00%	0.00%
Beta	0.79	1.38
Debt/equity	105.34	3.58
Current ratio	4.47	2.83
Quick ratio	3.88	2.12

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

INSM max drawdown56.54%

AZTA max drawdown60.94%

INSM max wkly drop25.80%

AZTA max wkly drop28.77%

5Y risk snapshot

INSM max drawdown56.54%

AZTA max drawdown87.08%

INSM max wkly drop25.80%

AZTA max wkly drop28.77%

10Y risk snapshot

INSM max drawdown64.84%

AZTA max drawdown87.08%

INSM max wkly drop34.18%

AZTA max wkly drop28.77%

Performance metrics by period

Performance metrics by period
Period	Metric	INSM	AZTA
1Y	Growth	-11.28%	+18.29%
	CAGR	-11.29%	+18.30%
	Sharpe ratio	-0.04	0.52
	Max drawdown	56.54%	60.94%
	Max daily drop	23.41%	25.31%
	Max wkly drop	25.80%	28.77%
5Y	Growth	+291.23%	-64.76%
	CAGR	+31.37%	-18.83%
	Sharpe ratio	0.60	-0.22
	Max drawdown	56.54%	87.08%
	Max daily drop	23.41%	25.31%
	Max wkly drop	25.80%	28.77%
10Y	Growth	+744.16%	+171.12%
	CAGR	+23.78%	+10.49%
	Sharpe ratio	0.53	0.37
	Max drawdown	64.84%	87.08%
	Max daily drop	24.07%	25.31%
	Max wkly drop	34.18%	28.77%

Business comparison

Business comparison
Category	INSM	AZTA
Company	Insmed Incorporated	Azenta, Inc.
Sector	Healthcare - Specialty Commercial/Clinical Pharma (Rare Disease)	Healthcare - Life Science Services and Equipment
Industry	N/A	N/A
Core business	Insmed is a global specialty pharmaceutical company with ARIKAYCE (amikacin liposome inhalation suspension) — the first and only FDA-approved treatment for refractory Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) lung disease in adults who have limited or no treatment alternatives. MAC lung disease is a serious, progressive rare lung infection caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) — an environmental bacteria that grows inside alveolar macrophages; ARIKAYCE's unique liposome delivery system concentrates amikacin directly at the site of MAC infection. Beyond ARIKAYCE, Insmed's most advanced pipeline candidate is brensocatib — a dipeptidyl peptidase 1 (DPP1) inhibitor for bronchiectasis and other neutrophilic inflammatory diseases.	Azenta Inc. (formerly Brooks Automation's Life Sciences division) is a life science services and equipment company providing solutions to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and academic research organizations. Azenta's primary businesses include: Genomics and OMICS Services (whole genome sequencing, RNA-seq, single-cell genomics, proteomics, and bioinformatics); Sample Management (automated biorepository storage systems, sample management software, and cryogenic storage services from -80°C to -196°C); and Life Science Products (consumables and equipment for sample workflow automation). Azenta completed a strategic transformation by selling its semiconductor automation business to focus entirely on life sciences.
Investor focus	Investors track ARIKAYCE net revenue growth and global launch execution, brensocatib's Phase 3 clinical data and regulatory pathway (particularly ASPEN Phase 3 for bronchiectasis), and overall cash position management.	Investors track Azenta's revenue growth and margin trajectory in genomics services and sample management businesses, the transition from semiconductor equipment to pure-play life science services, and operating leverage as the company scales.

INSM strengths

→ARIKAYCE has first-mover advantage and orphan drug designation in refractory MAC lung disease with no other approved therapies — no other FDA-approved drug specifically targeted MAC lung disease before ARIKAYCE; orphan drug designation provides 7 years of market exclusivity
→Brensocatib represents a potential blockbuster opportunity in bronchiectasis — WILLOW Phase 2 data showed significantly reduced exacerbations; Phase 3 ASPEN results are a major near-term catalyst; bronchiectasis is 3x more prevalent than MAC lung disease
→Liposome delivery technology provides genuine pharmacological differentiation — ARIKAYCE's lipid nanoparticle formulation targets alveolar macrophages where MAC hides; concentrated drug delivery to the site of infection is superior to systemic drug exposure

AZTA strengths

→Sample management is a recurring, mission-critical service for pharma drug development — pharmaceutical companies store invaluable research samples in long-term cryogenic repositories; losing samples can set drug programs back years; Azenta's sample management services have high switching costs
→Genomics services benefit from continued growth in genomics-driven drug discovery — sequencing costs continue declining while demand for genomics data in drug discovery increases; Azenta serves pharma and biotech R&D with customized genomics analysis
→Strategic transformation to pure-play life sciences improves focus and valuation clarity — after divesting semiconductor automation, Azenta's clearer positioning attracts life science-focused investors

Risks to watch — INSM

→Brensocatib Phase 3 ASPEN data is a binary event — brensocatib represents a substantial portion of Insmed's market cap; negative or ambiguous data would significantly reduce value
→ARIKAYCE commercial execution in a rare disease market requires intensive patient identification — MAC lung disease affects approximately 100,000 U.S. patients; identifying and treating refractory patients requires significant investment
→Aminoglycoside toxicity (hearing loss, kidney damage) is a class risk that limits ARIKAYCE's prescribing and requires monitoring

Risks to watch — AZTA

→Genomics services is a commoditizing market with declining sequencing prices — many large pharma companies can sequence internally; academic genome centers compete for services contracts; margin pressure from price erosion is persistent
→Sample management growth may face slower-than-expected pharma R&D spending cycles — if pharma companies freeze R&D budgets, sample management expansion slows
→Company is in strategic transition — investors may be uncertain about the long-term growth trajectory in pure-play life science services vs. the divested semiconductor automation business

Frequently asked questions

Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) is a group of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) — environmental bacteria acquired from soil, water, and biofilms (showerheads) that cause disease in susceptible individuals (those with underlying lung disease, bronchiectasis, or immunosuppression). MAC infects the lungs and grows slowly inside alveolar macrophages; MAC infection causes progressive lung destruction, worsening respiratory function, fatigue, and weight loss; unlike TB, MAC lung disease is not contagious between humans. Treatment challenges: standard MAC treatment requires a three-drug regimen (ethambutol, azithromycin, rifampin) taken for 12+ months after achieving culture negativity; culture conversion (clearing MAC from sputum cultures) is achieved in only 50-60% of patients; many patients have refractory disease not responding to standard antibiotics. ARIKAYCE's role: ARIKAYCE is used as add-on therapy for refractory MAC lung disease; the liposome delivery concentrates amikacin in alveolar macrophages where MAC hides; the CONVERT trial demonstrated ARIKAYCE added to standard regimen achieved 3x higher culture conversion rates vs. standard regimen alone.

AI Prediction SignalNext 5 trading days

Members only

INSM

+2.8%BUY

AZTA

+1.1%HOLD

Start Free Trial Log in

ML model trained on historical prices · 14-day free trial · No credit card required

Free public comparison

Want deeper AI forecasts?

This comparison page is public and free forever. Subscribers can unlock saved watchlists, full AI rankings, detailed forecasts, and interactive analysis tools.

Start Free Trial Read Investing Guides

Related comparisons