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 (+55.93%) 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 | 50.3 | 29.0 |
| AI ranki | #514 | #2338 |
| Latest closei | $546.12 | $220.83 |
| 1M returni | +12.64% | +6.87% |
| 6M returni | +18.51% | +17.41% |
| 1Y returni | +37.69% | +55.93% |
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 | $13.76K (+37.6%) started 2025-09-04 | $15.78K (+57.8%) started 2025-09-04 |
| 5Y ago | $28.41K (+184.1%) started 2021-09-07 | $6.75K (-32.5%) started 2021-09-07 |
| 10Y ago | $57.02K (+470.2%) started 2016-09-06 | $7.11K (-28.9%) started 2016-09-06 |
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 |
| 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 0.46), 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 | +37.59% | +57.80% |
| CAGRi | +37.65% | +57.91% | |
| Volatilityi | 28.53% | 35.01% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 1.10 | 1.35 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 1.86 | 2.17 | |
| Max drawdowni | 15.21% | 14.34% | |
| Current drawdowni | 2.12% | 1.64% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 5.35% | 4.88% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 7.12% | 5.91% | |
| Max daily dropi | 4.56% | 8.17% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 9.32% | 12.37% | |
| 5Y | Growthi | +184.14% | -32.52% |
| CAGRi | +23.27% | -7.58% | |
| Volatilityi | 28.92% | 34.73% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.72 | -0.19 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 1.01 | -0.31 | |
| Max drawdowni | 29.07% | 65.35% | |
| Current drawdowni | 2.12% | 32.52% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 7.26% | 34.79% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 9.57% | 38.11% | |
| Max daily dropi | 20.60% | 8.17% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 20.71% | 13.62% | |
| 10Y | Growthi | +470.18% | -28.92% |
| CAGRi | +19.03% | -3.36% | |
| Volatilityi | 32.77% | 41.37% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.56 | 0.01 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.82 | 0.01 | |
| Max drawdowni | 41.60% | 72.66% | |
| Current drawdowni | 2.12% | 46.75% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 11.08% | 34.55% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 14.80% | 39.08% | |
| 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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