VRTX vs BIIB Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
Vertex Pharmaceuticals and Biogen are both specialty biotechnology companies with dominant positions in their core disease areas, but Vertex maintains a highly durable, near-monopoly position in cystic fibrosis treatment, while Biogen navigates a declining multiple sclerosis franchise while working to grow its newer Alzheimer's disease treatment.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals offers exposure to a highly durable, near-monopoly cystic fibrosis franchise funding expansion into new therapeutic areas, while Biogen offers a more concentrated, higher-risk bet on Alzheimer's treatment adoption offsetting its declining multiple sclerosis business. Consider whether you prefer Vertex's franchise durability or Biogen's turnaround potential.
BIIB holds the edge across 3 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. BIIB leads on both 1-year return (+67.40%) and forward P/E quality (13.21x vs 24.63x for VRTX), a relatively favorable combination of momentum and valuation. VRTX leads on both revenue growth (12.50%) and operating margin (38.05%), suggesting a stronger fundamental setup on both dimensions. Analyst consensus implies meaningfully more upside for BIIB (+8.11%) than for VRTX (+3.96%).
Human Wall Street analysts' price targets, typically implying a ~12-month view — a separate signal from this site's own AI Prediction Signal further down the page, which is a 5-/30-day machine-learning forecast based on price history alone.
- Want exposure to a highly durable, near-monopoly position in cystic fibrosis treatment
- Value strong free cash flow generation funding expansion into new therapeutic areas
- Believe the emerging pain management therapy offers a differentiated new growth driver
- Are comfortable paying a premium valuation for a dominant, defensible market position
- Are comfortable with higher risk tied to Alzheimer's drug commercial adoption uncertainty
- Believe deep neuroscience research expertise supports long-term pipeline potential
- Want to bet on a turnaround as the multiple sclerosis franchise declines
- See potential value in a company navigating a significant business transition
| Metric | VRTX | BIIB |
|---|---|---|
| AI scorei | 58.0 | 29.6 |
| AI ranki | #115 | #2281 |
| Latest closei | $540.00 | $249.65 |
| 1M returni | +2.52% | +9.94% |
| 3M returni | +12.10% | +20.06% |
| 6M returni | +26.35% | +31.89% |
| 1Y returni | +27.84% | +67.40% |
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | VRTX | BIIB |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $12.94K (+29.4%) started 2025-10-29 | $16.88K (+68.8%) started 2025-10-29 |
| 5Y ago | $29.13K (+191.3%) started 2021-11-01 | $9.17K (-8.3%) started 2021-11-01 |
| 10Y ago | $71.18K (+611.8%) started 2016-10-31 | $8.91K (-10.9%) started 2016-10-31 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
| Metric | VRTX | BIIB |
|---|---|---|
| Market capi | $137.3B | $32.28B |
| Trailing P/Ei | 31.55 | 38.74 |
| Forward P/Ei | 24.63 | 13.21 |
| Price/Salesi | 10.42 | 1.99 |
| EV/Revenuei | 10.44 | 3.92 |
| Analyst targeti | $563.12 | $236.22 |
| Target upsidei | +3.96% | +8.11% |
| Metric | VRTX | BIIB |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growthi | 12.50% | 3.40% |
| Earnings growthi | 8.00% | -84.80% |
| EPS growthi | +8.00% | -84.80% |
| FCF margini | +20.88% | +12.63% |
| Operating margini | 38.05% | 25.06% |
| Profit margini | 35.00% | 8.32% |
| ROIC proxyi | 23.54% | 4.58% |
| Return on equityi | 23.54% | 4.58% |
| Dividend yieldi | N/A | N/A |
| Payout ratioi | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend growth streaki | N/A | N/A |
| Betai | 0.30 | 0.16 |
| Debt/equityi | 9.77 | 44.33 |
| Current ratioi | 3.19 | 1.86 |
| Quick ratioi | 2.54 | 0.94 |
Over the past year, VRTX and BIIB have moved moderately in the same direction (correlation of 0.47), based on daily returns.
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
| Period | Metric | VRTX | BIIB |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growthi | +29.43% | +68.84% |
| CAGRi | +29.48% | +68.97% | |
| Volatilityi | 29.12% | 34.21% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.88 | 1.58 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 1.42 | 2.47 | |
| Max drawdowni | 15.21% | 14.34% | |
| Current drawdowni | 3.22% | 1.65% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 6.27% | 4.26% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 7.73% | 5.43% | |
| Max daily dropi | 4.56% | 8.17% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 9.32% | 12.37% | |
| 5Y | Growthi | +191.26% | -8.25% |
| CAGRi | +23.88% | -1.71% | |
| Volatilityi | 29.13% | 34.76% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.73 | -0.02 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 1.03 | -0.02 | |
| Max drawdowni | 29.07% | 64.35% | |
| Current drawdowni | 3.22% | 21.51% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 7.36% | 31.20% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 9.63% | 35.52% | |
| Max daily dropi | 20.60% | 8.17% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 20.71% | 13.62% | |
| 10Y | Growthi | +611.84% | -10.90% |
| CAGRi | +21.70% | -1.15% | |
| Volatilityi | 32.58% | 41.42% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.63 | 0.06 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.93 | 0.10 | |
| Max drawdowni | 41.60% | 72.66% | |
| Current drawdowni | 3.22% | 39.80% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 10.89% | 35.16% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 14.64% | 39.47% | |
| Max daily dropi | 20.70% | 29.23% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 22.29% | 34.30% |
| Category | VRTX | BIIB |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated | Biogen Inc. |
| Sector | Healthcare | Healthcare |
| Industry | Biotechnology | Drug Manufacturers - General |
| Core business | A biotechnology company that holds a near-monopoly position in cystic fibrosis treatment through a portfolio of therapies addressing the underlying genetic cause of the disease, while expanding into pain management and other rare disease areas. | A biotechnology company focused on neuroscience treatments, including therapies for multiple sclerosis and a newer Alzheimer's disease treatment, working to rebuild pipeline momentum as legacy multiple sclerosis products face competition. |
| Investor focus | Cystic fibrosis franchise revenue growth and market penetration, progress and commercial launch of newer pipeline therapies in pain and other rare diseases, and overall pipeline diversification beyond cystic fibrosis. | Alzheimer's drug commercial adoption and revenue trajectory, legacy multiple sclerosis franchise decline trends, and pipeline progress across other neuroscience disease areas. |
- Near-monopoly position in cystic fibrosis treatment provides a highly durable, high-margin core revenue base with limited direct competition
- Strong free cash flow generation from the cystic fibrosis franchise funds expansion into new therapeutic areas
- Emerging non-opioid pain management therapy provides a differentiated new growth driver beyond its core franchise
- Deep expertise in neuroscience research provides a differentiated position in a complex, high-barrier therapeutic area
- Newer Alzheimer's disease treatment represents a novel growth driver in a large, underserved patient population
- Established multiple sclerosis franchise, while declining, continues to generate meaningful cash flow to fund pipeline investment
- Significant revenue concentration in cystic fibrosis treatment creates exposure if new competitive therapies eventually emerge
- Pipeline expansion into pain management and other rare diseases carries typical clinical and commercial execution risk
- Valuation reflects a premium for its dominant market position, leaving less room for error if growth decelerates
- Legacy multiple sclerosis products face declining revenue as competition and generic alternatives take share
- Alzheimer's drug commercial adoption has been slower and more uncertain than some initial expectations
- Pipeline productivity must improve to offset the ongoing decline of its historically core multiple sclerosis business
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