5 Best Drug Stocks to Buy According to Analysts

In this article, we will list the 5 Best Drug Stocks to Buy According to Analysts. Please visit 9 Best Drug Stocks to Buy According to Analysts if you would like to see the extended list and the methodology behind it.

5 Best Drug Stocks to Buy According to Analysts

5. BioCryst Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:BCRX)

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:BCRX) is one of the best drug stocks to buy according to analysts. On April 7, RBC Capital lifted the price target on BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:BCRX) to $14 from $13 while maintaining an Outperform rating on the shares. The rating update came as part of a broader research note by the firm previewing fiscal Q1 results in Biotech. It told investors in the research note that seasonal headwinds around gross/net, reimbursement resets, and fewer selling days may be exacerbated in fiscal Q1 by weather impact, especially for launching and in-clinic products. However, it also stated that the robust return of M&A, coupled with clarity on limited tariff/Most Favored Nation drug pricing impacts, could help offset both this and broader macro volatility while keeping sector perceptions favorable.

For additional reference, in its full year 2025 results, BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:BCRX) reported ORLADEYO® net revenue of $601.8 million, up 38% year-over-year. It also maintained full-year 2026 ORLADEYO revenue guidance between $625 and $645 million.

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:BCRX) is a biotechnology company that provides structure-guided drug design to develop oral small-molecule and protein therapeutics to target difficult-to-treat rare diseases.

4. Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:NBIX)

Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:NBIX) is one of the best drug stocks to buy according to analysts. On April 22, Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:NBIX) announced the first presentation of new two-year data from the Phase 3 CAHtalyst® Adult study exhibiting sustained, substantial reductions in glucocorticoid (GC) doses in adults with classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia treated with CRENESSITY®. Management reported that around 70% of patients attained GC doses within the physiologic range, with the data building upon the previously reported one-year results.

Presented at the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology 2026 Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:NBIX) further reported that around 75% of patients originally taking dexamethasone transitioned off this treatment, allowing a more physiologic glucocorticoid regimen without compromising androgen control. It further stated that the findings bolster “durable efficacy and a favorable long‑term safety profile in the largest interventional trial to date conducted in classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia”.

In a separate development, RBC Capital cut the price target on Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:NBIX) to $176 from $177 and reaffirmed an Outperform rating on the shares as part of its broader research note previewing Q1 results in Biotech.

Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:NBIX) is a biopharmaceutical company with a focus on neuroscience. It is involved in the research and development, sale, and commercialization of pharmaceuticals that treat neuroendocrine, neurological, and neuropsychiatric disorders. The company’s product portfolio includes treatments for chorea associated with Huntington’s disease, tardive dyskinesia, classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), and endometriosis and uterine fibroids.

3. Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS)

Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) is one of the best drug stocks to buy according to analysts. On April 21, Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) announced that it is expanding the capabilities of Vetscan OptiCell, which is its cartridge-based, artificial intelligence-powered hematology analyzer. The expansion marks the next step in the platform’s evolution, with the company stating that the update would make Vetscan OptiCell the first point-of-care hematology analyzer to offer cellular hemoglobin concentration mean (CHCM).

In a separate development, Citi initiated coverage of Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) with a Buy rating on April 15 and set a price target of $145. The firm also opened an “upside 90-day catalyst watch” on the company, stating that Solensia will return to growth in fiscal 2026. Citi launched the animal health and dental sectors with a “cautiously optimistic” view, stating that it favors the animal health group and believes that the “humanization” pet trend is real and should drive more spending. Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) is its top pick. The firm also stated that it sees the weak macro backdrop pressuring the dental sector, and it anticipates a trade-down to lower-cost implants and orthodontics. It added that its top dental pick is Henry Schein.

Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS) is a global animal health company that focuses on the discovery, development, manufacture, and commercialization of vaccines, medicines, biodevices, genetic tests, diagnostic products, and precision animal health. Its operations are divided into the United States and International segments.

2. AbbVie Inc. (NYSE:ABBV)

AbbVie Inc. (NYSE:ABBV) is one of the best drug stocks to buy according to analysts. AbbVie Inc. (NYSE:ABBV) announced on April 27 the submission of an application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking approval for SKYRIZI® for subcutaneous induction for the treatment of adult patients with moderately to severely active Crohn’s disease. Management stated that the application is supported by the recently shared positive data from the Phase 3 AFFIRM study evaluating the efficacy and safety of risankizumab SC as an induction treatment in adult patients with moderately to severely active CD. This includes both those with and without prior advanced therapy failure.

In a separate development, AbbVie Inc. (NYSE:ABBV) received a rating update from Piper Sandler on April 23. The firm cut the price target on AbbVie Inc. (NYSE:ABBV) to $294 from $299 while reaffirming an Overweight rating on the shares. The rating update came ahead of the quarterly results, with the firm saying that the company has become a bit controversial. Despite that, Piper is making a case for why there is no need for investors to worry, as the primary worry on AbbVie Inc. (NYSE:ABBV), as seen by the firm, is driven in part by the rollout of oral IL-23-directed treatment Icotyde by Johnson & Johnson in the psoriasis setting, along with how it could impact the trajectory of Skyrizi.

AbbVie Inc. (NYSE:ABBV) is a research-based pharmaceutical company that develops and sells products to treat chronic diseases in oncology, gastroenterology, rheumatology, dermatology, virology, and various other serious health conditions.

1. Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) is one of the best drug stocks to buy according to analysts. Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) announced on April 27 the signing of a definitive agreement for it to acquire Ajax. Ajax is a biopharmaceutical company that develops next-generation JAK inhibitors for patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms, and its lead asset, AJ1-11095, is an investigational, once-daily oral, first-in-class Type II JAK2 inhibitor currently being evaluated in a Phase 1 clinical trial, AJX-101, in patients with myelofibrosis who have previously been treated with a Type I JAK2 inhibitor.

In a separate development, Reuters reported on April 24 that, according to analysts citing IQVIA data, Eli Lilly and Company’s (NYSE:LLY) newly launched oral weight loss drug, branded as Foundayo, was prescribed 3,707 times in the United States in the second week following its launch earlier in the month. The pill had 1,390 prescriptions in its first week of launch. Reuters provided additional perspective in the context of Eli Lilly and Company’s (NYSE:LLY) rival Novo ​Nordisk’s Wegovy pill. It reported that Wegovy has been on the market since January and had 3,071 prescriptions in its first week, followed by 18,410 prescriptions in the second week.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) develops, manufactures, discovers, and sells pharmaceutical products. These products span oncology, diabetes, immunology, neuroscience, and other therapies.

While we acknowledge the potential of LLY to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than LLY and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: 15 Stocks That Will Make You Rich in 10 Years AND 12 Best Stocks That Will Always Grow.

Disclosure: None. Insider Monkey focuses on uncovering the best investment ideas of hedge funds and insiders. Please subscribe to our free daily e-newsletter to get the latest investment ideas from hedge funds’ investor letters by entering your email address below.