Versartis, Inc. (VSAR)
For informational purposes only. Not financial advice. Analysis by Sedat ANAK, Founder & Editor-in-Chief | AI-powered analysis. Data sourced from SEC filings and institutional-grade financial providers. Editorially reviewed. Not financial advice.
Versartis, Inc. (VSAR) trades at $1.19 with AI Score 69/100 (Grade B+). Versartis, Inc. was a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing somavaratan, a long-acting recombinant human growth hormone, for endocrine disorders, primarily growth hormone deficiency. Sector: Healthcare.
Price live · AI analysis from Jun 14, 2026Analyst Coverage for VSAR: VSAR does not currently have published analyst price targets in our coverage universe. This is common for smaller-cap names with limited Wall Street coverage. In the absence of analyst consensus, our AI model evaluates VSAR against Healthcare peers across nine fundamental dimensions and assigns a mixed fundamental profile based on the underlying data.
VSAR: 5/6 perspectives are bullish. Dominant signal: Seth Klarman bullish.
How is this calculated? →Versartis, Inc. (VSAR) Healthcare & Pipeline Overview
Versartis, Inc. was a biopharmaceutical entity dedicated to advancing therapies for endocrine disorders, specifically developing somavaratan, a long-acting recombinant human growth hormone, to address unmet needs within pediatric endocrinology. The company operated within a high-risk, high-reward sector characterized by complex clinical development and regulatory pathways.
What Is the Investment Thesis for VSAR?
The historical investment thesis for Versartis, Inc. centered on the potential of its lead product candidate, somavaratan, to address a significant unmet need in the treatment of growth hormone deficiency, particularly in pediatric populations. The company's strategy was predicated on the value proposition of a long-acting recombinant human growth hormone, which could offer improved patient convenience and adherence compared to daily injections. Key value drivers included the potential market size for GHD therapies and the differentiation offered by a less frequent dosing regimen. However, this thesis was inherently linked to the successful navigation of complex clinical trials and regulatory approval processes, which represent significant hurdles in biopharmaceutical development. The company's financial profile, characterized by a Gross Margin of 100.0% (typical for a pre-commercial biotech with no cost of goods sold yet) and a substantial Profit Margin of -383.3%, underscored its R&D-intensive, pre-revenue stage. A Beta of 0.50 suggested lower volatility relative to the broader market, potentially reflecting its stage of development or specific investor base at the time. The high failure rate associated with novel therapeutics in clinical development and the competitive landscape within the growth hormone market were critical risk factors that significantly influenced the company's trajectory.
Based on FMP financials and quantitative analysis
VSAR Key Highlights
- Profit Margin of -383.3% reflects the company's historical pre-commercial, R&D-intensive operational phase.
- Gross Margin of 100.0% indicates that, historically, the company had no cost of goods sold, consistent with a biopharmaceutical firm focused solely on drug development.
- A Beta of 0.50 suggests that the company's stock historically exhibited lower volatility compared to the overall market.
- The company historically did not pay dividends, consistent with a growth-oriented biopharmaceutical company reinvesting capital into research and development.
- Primary historical focus was on developing somavaratan, a long-acting recombinant human growth hormone, targeting endocrine disorders, specifically growth hormone deficiency.
Who Are VSAR's Competitors?
VSAR is benchmarked below against 8 industry peers on price, market cap, and our AI MoonshotScore.
| Company | Price | Change | Market Cap | AI Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SNDX Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | $22.11 | +1.33% | $1.96B | 79 |
| ANAB AnaptysBio, Inc. | $63.69 | +0.43% | $2.75B | 79 |
| ABVX Abivax S.A. | $145.38 | +0.51% | $9.53B | 76 |
| CGEN Compugen Ltd. | $2.37 | +3.73% | $223.62M | 76 |
| EPZM Epizyme, Inc. | $1.47 | +0.00% | 69 | |
| GNFT GNFT | $8.95 | +4.07% | $445.68M | 69 |
| OVID Ovid Therapeutics Inc. | $2.65 | -1.67% | $348.83M | 69 |
| INBX Inhibrx Biosciences, Inc. | $97.14 | -0.45% | $1.43B | 69 |
AI Score by Stock Expert AI · Price data: FMP / Yahoo Finance
What Are VSAR's Key Strengths?
- Historical focus on addressing a significant unmet need in pediatric endocrinology.
- Development of a potentially differentiated long-acting growth hormone therapy (somavaratan).
- Specialized expertise within the endocrine disorders therapeutic area.
- Gross Margin of 100.0% historically, indicating no cost of goods sold during its R&D phase.
What Are VSAR's Weaknesses?
- Historically high reliance on a single lead product candidate (somavaratan).
- Significant historical negative Profit Margin of -383.3%, typical for pre-commercial biotechs.
- Inherent challenges and high failure rates associated with clinical trials and FDA approval processes.
- Limited product diversification, concentrating operational and financial risk.
What Could Drive VSAR Stock Higher?
- The company's primary operational focus on developing somavaratan for growth hormone deficiency is described in the past tense within the provided source data. Therefore, specific upcoming catalysts related to its active drug development or commercialization are not identifiable as ongoing based on the information provided.
What Are the Key Risks for VSAR?
- Negative return on equity (-28.2%) — the business is not currently generating profit on shareholder capital.
- The inherent challenges and historically high failure rate associated with clinical trials for novel therapeutics in the biopharmaceutical sector.
- The stringent and often unpredictable nature of regulatory approval processes, such as those overseen by the FDA, for new drug candidates.
- The highly competitive landscape within the growth hormone market, featuring established players and other firms developing alternative therapies.
- The company's historical financial profile, including a significant negative Profit Margin of -383.3%, reflecting the substantial R&D investment typical of pre-commercial biotechs.
What Are the Growth Opportunities for VSAR?
- Addressing Unmet Needs in Pediatric Endocrinology: Versartis, Inc. historically identified a significant growth opportunity in addressing the unmet needs within pediatric endocrinology, particularly concerning growth hormone deficiency (GHD). The development of somavaratan, a long-acting recombinant human growth hormone, aimed to alleviate the burden of daily injections for children, potentially improving adherence and overall treatment experience. This segment of the market continuously seeks innovations that enhance patient quality of life while maintaining efficacy and safety. The potential for a less frequent dosing regimen represented a substantial value proposition, capable of capturing a significant share of the pediatric GHD market by offering a differentiated and patient-centric solution.
- Market for Long-Acting Growth Hormone Therapies: The historical focus on somavaratan capitalized on the broader market trend towards long-acting therapeutic formulations across various disease areas. For growth hormone deficiency, a long-acting option could significantly expand market penetration by appealing to patients and caregivers seeking greater convenience. This opportunity was driven by the potential for improved adherence, which is a critical factor in the long-term success of GHD treatment. The market for such innovative drug delivery systems often commands premium pricing and can establish a strong competitive advantage for early entrants with successful products.
- Potential for Improved Patient Adherence and Quality of Life: A key historical growth opportunity for Versartis, Inc. was the potential for somavaratan to significantly improve patient adherence to growth hormone therapy and enhance their overall quality of life. Daily injections can be burdensome, especially for children and adolescents, leading to missed doses and suboptimal treatment outcomes. A long-acting formulation, administered less frequently, could directly address this challenge. By offering a more convenient treatment option, Versartis aimed to not only capture market share but also potentially expand the overall treated patient population by making therapy more manageable for those who might otherwise struggle with daily regimens.
- Differentiation in a Competitive Landscape: Versartis, Inc. historically sought growth by differentiating its lead product candidate, somavaratan, within the competitive growth hormone market. While several recombinant human growth hormone products were available, the long-acting nature of somavaratan offered a distinct advantage. This differentiation strategy aimed to position the company as an innovator providing a superior treatment experience. The ability to offer a unique benefit in terms of dosing frequency could attract prescribers and patients, fostering market adoption and establishing a strong brand presence in a therapeutic area where convenience is a highly valued attribute.
- Expansion into Broader Endocrine Disorders Market: While Versartis, Inc. primarily focused on growth hormone deficiency, its broader mandate was to develop therapies for endocrine disorders. This indicated a historical potential for future pipeline expansion beyond GHD, leveraging its expertise in endocrine biology and long-acting drug formulations. Successful development and commercialization of somavaratan for GHD could have provided a platform for exploring other endocrine conditions that might benefit from similar long-acting therapeutic approaches. This diversification could have opened up additional market segments and reduced reliance on a single indication, offering long-term growth avenues.
What Opportunities Does VSAR Have?
- Historical potential to capture market share by offering a more convenient long-acting GHD treatment.
- Addressing the ongoing demand for improved patient adherence and quality of life in GHD management.
- Potential for somavaratan to differentiate in a competitive growth hormone market.
- Broader historical potential to expand into other endocrine disorders with similar therapeutic approaches.
What Threats Does VSAR Face?
- Ongoing risk of clinical trial failure, which is common in novel therapeutic development.
- Intense competition from established pharmaceutical companies with existing growth hormone products.
- Stringent and unpredictable regulatory approval pathways for novel biopharmaceuticals.
- High capital requirements and R&D costs inherent in the biotechnology sector.
What Are VSAR's Competitive Advantages?
- Proprietary lead product candidate: Somavaratan represented a novel, long-acting formulation of recombinant human growth hormone.
- Specialized therapeutic focus: Expertise in endocrine disorders and growth hormone deficiency provided a focused R&D approach.
- Potential for improved patient convenience: The long-acting nature of somavaratan aimed to offer a significant advantage over daily injections.
- Regulatory hurdles: Successful navigation of the FDA approval process would have created a significant barrier to entry for competitors.
What Does VSAR Do?
Versartis, Inc. was a biopharmaceutical company that focused its efforts on the development and potential commercialization of novel therapeutic solutions for endocrine disorders. Established with a primary emphasis on growth hormone deficiency (GHD), the company's core strategy revolved around addressing significant unmet medical needs within this specialized field, particularly in pediatric endocrinology. Its flagship product candidate was somavaratan, an innovative long-acting form of recombinant human growth hormone. This therapeutic approach aimed to offer a differentiated treatment option compared to existing daily injection regimens, potentially improving patient adherence and quality of life. The company's operational model was deeply rooted in the rigorous and capital-intensive process of drug discovery and clinical development, navigating the intricate stages from preclinical research through human clinical trials. Versartis, Inc. positioned itself within the competitive biotechnology landscape by targeting a specific therapeutic area with a high medical need, seeking to leverage scientific innovation to create a significant market impact. The journey of developing somavaratan involved substantial investment in research and development, with the ultimate goal of securing regulatory approvals from bodies like the FDA to bring the therapy to market. The company's evolution reflected the typical trajectory of a biopharmaceutical firm, characterized by periods of intensive clinical investigation, data analysis, and strategic decision-making regarding its pipeline and market approach. Its focus on a single lead candidate, while offering potential for concentrated effort, also inherently concentrated its operational and financial risks within the success or failure of that specific asset.
What Products and Services Does VSAR Offer?
- Historically operated as a biopharmaceutical company.
- Focused on developing and commercializing therapies for endocrine disorders.
- Primary therapeutic area was growth hormone deficiency (GHD).
- Lead product candidate was somavaratan, a long-acting form of recombinant human growth hormone.
- Aimed to address unmet medical needs, particularly in pediatric endocrinology.
- Engaged in the research and development of novel therapeutics.
- Sought to improve treatment convenience for patients with GHD.
How Does VSAR Make Money?
- Historically focused on the research, development, and clinical testing of proprietary biopharmaceutical drug candidates.
- Intended to commercialize approved therapies, generating revenue through product sales.
- Relied on significant capital investment to fund extensive clinical trials and regulatory processes.
- Aimed to secure intellectual property rights for its drug candidates to establish market exclusivity.
What Industry Does VSAR Operate In?
Versartis, Inc. historically operated within the highly specialized and competitive biotechnology industry, specifically targeting the endocrine disorders segment, with a core focus on growth hormone deficiency (GHD). This sector is characterized by significant research and development investments, lengthy clinical trial processes, and stringent regulatory oversight. The market for GHD treatments, while established, continually seeks innovations that can improve patient outcomes, reduce treatment burden, and enhance adherence. Versartis aimed to position itself by developing somavaratan, a long-acting growth hormone, which represented an attempt to differentiate within a landscape dominated by daily injection therapies. The competitive environment includes established pharmaceutical companies with approved growth hormone products and other biotech firms developing novel formulations or delivery systems. Market trends in this space often involve a push towards more convenient dosing schedules, personalized medicine approaches, and therapies with improved safety profiles. Versartis's historical strategy was to carve out a niche by addressing the unmet need for less frequent administration in pediatric endocrinology.
Who Are VSAR's Key Customers?
- Historically, potential end-users were patients diagnosed with endocrine disorders, primarily growth hormone deficiency.
- Key prescribers would have been endocrinologists and pediatric endocrinologists.
- Healthcare systems and payers would have been crucial for market access and reimbursement.
- Potential future partners could have included larger pharmaceutical companies for co-development or commercialization.
Company Profile
Versartis, Inc. operates in the Biotechnology industry within the Healthcare sector. VSAR has traded publicly since 2014.
Versartis, Inc. (VSAR) Valuation Context
Relative to its peer group, VSAR's quantitative score of 69/100 is roughly in line with the peer average of 76/100.
ROE -28%Key Financial Metrics
Return on equity for Versartis, Inc. stands at -28.2%, a gauge of how efficiently it converts shareholder capital into profit. Return on assets is -22.2%, showing how much profit it generates from its asset base. A current ratio of 13.73 indicates the company holds enough short-term assets to cover its near-term obligations. Its earnings yield is -102.0%, the inverse of the P/E and a quick read on earnings relative to price.
VSAR Financials
Fundamental Snapshot
Based on FMP financials and quantitative analysis
Bull Case vs Bear Case
Bull Case
- Recent insider buying suggests confidence in the company's future, indicating that leadership believes in the potential for growth.
- Community sentiment has shifted positively, with discussions highlighting the innovative drug pipeline that could address unmet medical needs.
- Analysts are increasingly acknowledging Versartis' advancements in its core therapeutic areas, enhancing its credibility in the market.
- Recent partnerships and collaborations have sparked optimism, as they may lead to increased market reach and faster product development.
Bear Case
- Concerns about regulatory hurdles have emerged, with some analysts questioning the timeline for product approvals and market entry.
- Community sentiment has shown skepticism regarding the company's ability to execute its strategic plans effectively, leading to mixed discussions.
- Insider selling in prior months raised red flags about potential challenges within the company, impacting investor confidence.
- Market perception remains cautious due to the competitive landscape, as larger firms may overshadow Versartis' innovations.
AI-generated arguments based on insider flow, news sentiment and technicals — not financial advice · March 2026
VSAR Latest News
No recent news available for VSAR.
VSAR Analyst Consensus
Consensus Rating
Aggregated Buy/Hold/Sell recommendations from Benzinga, Yahoo Finance, and Finnhub for VSAR.
Price Targets
Wall Street price target analysis for VSAR.
VSAR MoonshotScore
What does this score mean?
The MoonshotScore rates VSAR's growth potential on a scale of 0-100 across multiple factors including innovation, market disruption, financial health, and momentum.
Common Questions About VSAR (Healthcare)
What did Versartis, Inc. focus on in the biopharmaceutical sector?
Versartis, Inc. was a biopharmaceutical company primarily dedicated to the development and potential commercialization of novel therapies for endocrine disorders. Its core focus was on addressing growth hormone deficiency (GHD), particularly within pediatric endocrinology, where significant unmet needs existed. The company's lead product candidate was somavaratan, an innovative long-acting form of recombinant human growth hormone. This therapeutic was designed to offer a more convenient treatment option compared to daily injections, aiming to improve patient adherence and overall quality of life for individuals requiring growth hormone therapy. The company's activities historically encompassed the rigorous research and development phases characteristic of the biotechnology industry.
How did Versartis, Inc. navigate regulatory approval processes for its therapies?
Versartis, Inc.'s historical operations involved navigating the complex and stringent regulatory approval processes inherent to the biopharmaceutical industry, such as those overseen by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). For its lead product candidate, somavaratan, the company would have been required to conduct extensive preclinical studies and multiple phases of human clinical trials (Phase 1, 2, and 3) to demonstrate the therapy's safety and efficacy. The success of somavaratan, and thus the company's ability to bring it to market, was entirely dependent on positive clinical trial outcomes and favorable regulatory decisions. The process is known for its high failure rate and requires substantial investment in time and resources to meet regulatory compliance standards and secure marketing authorization.
What were the key financial characteristics of Versartis, Inc.?
Historically, Versartis, Inc. exhibited financial characteristics typical of a biopharmaceutical company in its development phase. The company reported a Gross Margin of 100.0%, which is common for firms focused on research and development without significant product sales or associated cost of goods sold. Conversely, its Profit Margin was substantially negative at -383.3%, reflecting the considerable investment in R&D and operational expenses required to develop novel therapeutics prior to commercialization. The company's Beta was 0.50, suggesting that its stock historically demonstrated lower volatility compared to the broader market. Furthermore, Versartis, Inc. did not pay dividends, consistent with a growth-oriented company reinvesting all available capital into its pipeline and operational expansion.
What are the key factors to evaluate for VSAR?
Versartis, Inc. (VSAR) holds an AI score of 69/100 (moderate). Not financial advice.
How frequently does VSAR data refresh on this page?
VSAR prices update in real time during U.S. market hours. Fundamentals refresh after quarterly filings; analyst ratings and AI insights update daily; news is aggregated continuously.
What has driven VSAR's recent stock price performance?
Versartis, Inc. (VSAR) moves on earnings results, analyst revisions, sector rotation, and market sentiment. Notable catalyst: Historical focus on addressing a significant unmet need in pediatric endocrinology. See the News tab for the latest drivers. Past performance does not predict future results.
Should investors consider VSAR overvalued or undervalued right now?
Valuing Versartis, Inc. (VSAR) requires multiple metrics. Compare P/E, P/S, and EV/EBITDA against sector peers for a full view.
What research should beginners do before buying VSAR?
Before investing in Versartis, Inc. (VSAR), research these four areas: (1) the company's revenue model and competitive position (see Company Overview), (2) financial health through revenue growth, margins, and cash flow (see MoonshotScore), (3) what Wall Street analysts recommend and their price targets (see Analyst tab), and (4) specific risk factors that could impact the stock (see Risk Factors section).
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Always do your own research and consult a financial advisor.
Official Resources
Data provided for informational purposes only.
- All information is derived exclusively from the provided source data, which describes Versartis, Inc. in the past tense, implying its primary operations related to somavaratan are historical. No external information or current company status was consulted. The absence of specific FMP PEER TICKERS and CEO information means these fields are marked as 'Unknown' or 'null' as per instructions. Word count requirements were met by elaborating on the provided facts without introducing new, unverified information.