BMO Initiates Coverage On This Gene Editing Spearhead

BMO Capital initiated coverage of Intellia Therapeutics Inc NTLA with a Market Perform rating and a $54 target price.
The analyst says Intellia's gene-editing platform could potentially deliver transformative therapies.
But challenges around the lack of clarity around an IND approval in the U.S., ongoing CRISPR/Cas9 IP litigations with Editas Medicine Inc EDIT, and high patient compliance remains.
Related: Intellia's CRISPR-Engineered Cell Therapy Receives FDA Orphan Drug Tag For Bone Marrow Cancer.
Although early data suggest that lead asset NTLA-2001 can have a competitive profile in ATTR, penetration will be challenged due to alternative approved/investigational treatments characterized by favorable outcomes and high patient adherence.
BMO writes that IND approval for NTLA-2001 can drive ~10-15%+ upside in NTLA.
Price Action: NTLA shares are up 4.17% at $43.17 during the market session on the last check Friday.