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FOLD vs. RIGL: Which Rare Disease Biotech Stock Has Better Upside?
ZACKS· 2026-01-28 17:27
Core Viewpoint - Amicus Therapeutics (FOLD) and Rigel Pharmaceuticals (RIGL) are appealing to growth-focused investors due to their focus on rare diseases, which can support strong revenue growth despite small patient populations [2] Company Overview - Amicus is a mid-cap stock, while Rigel is classified as a small biotech [2] - Both companies are developing treatments for rare medical conditions with limited existing therapies [2] Product Highlights - Amicus' lead product, Galafold, is the first oral precision medicine for Fabry disease, generating significant revenue [3][6] - Rigel's lead drug, Tavalisse, is an oral spleen tyrosine kinase inhibitor for chronic immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), also showing strong sales growth [3][9] Acquisition Potential - Amicus is set to be acquired by BioMarin Pharmaceutical for $14.50 per share, totaling $4.8 billion, expected to close in Q2 2026 [5][10] - This acquisition could enhance Amicus' value realization beyond organic sales growth [4] Financial Performance - Galafold generated $371.5 million in sales in the first nine months of 2025, a 12% year-over-year increase, contributing over 80% of Amicus' net product sales [6] - Pombiliti + Opfolda, a new therapy for late-onset Pompe disease, generated $77.5 million in sales, up 61% year-over-year [7] - Rigel's Tavalisse sales reached $113.3 million in the first nine months of 2025, a 54% increase year-over-year [9] Future Outlook - Rigel expects total revenues of $294.3 million for 2025, with net product sales of $232 million [12] - The company anticipates fourth-quarter revenues of $69.8 million, a 21.2% increase year-over-year [13] Competitive Landscape - Rigel faces increasing competition in the ITP market, particularly from Sanofi's Wayrilz, which poses a threat to Tavalisse [15][16] - Amicus' reliance on Galafold makes it vulnerable to regulatory setbacks, while Rigel's dependence on Tavalisse highlights its exposure to competitive risks [8][26] Valuation and Performance - In the past six months, FOLD shares have increased by 133.1%, while RIGL shares have risen by 87.2%, compared to the industry return of 21.7% [21] - Amicus has a higher price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of 7.41 compared to Rigel's 2.53, indicating a more expensive valuation [23] Investment Recommendation - Amicus is viewed as a better investment opportunity due to its acquisition by BioMarin and strong sales performance, while Rigel's strategy is seen as riskier due to its dependence on Tavalisse [24][27]