Analyzing Fortress Biotech (NASDAQ:FBIO) & BioAge Labs (NASDAQ:BIOA)

BioAge Labs (NASDAQ:BIOA) and Fortress Biotech (NASDAQ:FBIO) are both small-cap healthcare companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, risk, earnings, profitability, institutional ownership, dividends and analyst recommendations.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current ratings for BioAge Labs and Fortress Biotech, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
BioAge Labs	1	0	6	0	2.71
Fortress Biotech	1	1	2	0	2.25

BioAge Labs currently has a consensus price target of $36.57, indicating a potential upside of 330.76%. Fortress Biotech has a consensus price target of $17.00, indicating a potential upside of 574.60%. Given Fortress Biotech’s higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Fortress Biotech is more favorable than BioAge Labs.

Profitability

This table compares BioAge Labs and Fortress Biotech’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
BioAge Labs	-912.26%	-28.99%	-27.09%
Fortress Biotech	163.32%	83.47%	42.98%

Volatility and Risk

BioAge Labs has a beta of 0.94, meaning that its share price is 6% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Fortress Biotech has a beta of 1.19, meaning that its share price is 19% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

96.5% of Fortress Biotech shares are held by institutional investors. 17.5% of BioAge Labs shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 28.5% of Fortress Biotech shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares BioAge Labs and Fortress Biotech”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
BioAge Labs	$10.36 million	37.63	-$80.61 million	($2.38)	-3.57
Fortress Biotech	$63.26 million	1.33	$6.82 million	$2.64	0.95

Fortress Biotech has higher revenue and earnings than BioAge Labs. BioAge Labs is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Fortress Biotech, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Summary

Fortress Biotech beats BioAge Labs on 11 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About BioAge Labs

We are a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing therapeutic product candidates for metabolic diseases, such as obesity, by targeting the biology of human aging. Our technology platform and differentiated human datasets enable us to identify promising targets based on insights into molecular changes that drive aging. Our primary focus is metabolic disease, one of the greatest global healthcare challenges. Azelaprag, our lead product candidate, is an orally available small molecule that has been well-tolerated in 265 individuals across eight Phase 1 clinical trials. In preclinical obesity models, azelaprag demonstrated the ability to more than double the weight loss induced by a glucagon-like-peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonist while also restoring healthy body composition and improving muscle function. These preclinical results are supported by our Phase 1b clinical trial in older adults on bed rest where we observed decreased muscle atrophy, preservation of muscle quality and improved metabolism in subjects treated with azelaprag over a 10-day period. We plan to assess azelaprag’s potential to drive significant improvements in weight loss when combined with a GLP-1R agonist in two Phase 2 clinical trials. While the results of these preclinical studies and early clinical trials have demonstrated the potential use of azelaprag for the treatment of metabolic disease, they may not be predictive of the results of later-stage clinical trials. The ongoing STRIDES clinical trial will assess azelaprag in combination with tirzepatide, marketed as Zepbound® by Eli Lilly and Company (Lilly), with topline results anticipated in the third quarter of 2025. The second Phase 2 clinical trial will assess azelaprag in combination with semaglutide, marketed as Wegovy® by Novo Nordisk, with initiation expected in the first half of 2025 and topline results expected in the second half of 2026. We believe these trials will directly support our ultimate therapeutic goal of developing an all-oral combination product for obesity. We also intend to initiate an insulin sensitivity proof-of-concept trial of azelaprag monotherapy in the first half of 2025 to support potential indication expansion. We expect to report topline results from this proof-of-concept trial in the second half of 2025. We are also developing orally available small molecule brain-penetrant NLRP3 inhibitors for the treatment of diseases driven by neuroinflammation. We anticipate submitting an Investigational New Drug application (IND) for an NLRP3 inhibitor in the second half of 2025 and, if cleared, initiating a Phase 1 clinical trial in the first half of 2026. Our approach: Targeting human aging biology to treat chronic metabolic diseases The burden of many serious and chronic diseases—including cardiovascular disease and diabetes—increases with age. However, there is substantial natural variation in the human population, resulting in a broad range of aging trajectories and outcomes, with some people experiencing much longer lifespans as well as delayed disease onset. We created our company to identify biological pathways associated with longer, healthier human lifespans and to develop pharmaceutical products that can modulate these pathways with the intent to prevent and reverse specific diseases, focusing on metabolic diseases. — Our approach starts with human data. We examine the impact of the molecular changes that happen naturally as people age and study how these changes drive both functional decline (e.g., loss of muscle strength) and disease risk (e.g., obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, hypertension). To develop new insights into the biological drivers of aging, we have generated proprietary longitudinal human datasets based on exclusive access to a unique resource: serial biobanked human samples coupled with health records and functional measurements collected for up to 50 years, capturing individual aging trajectories measured over several decades. We analyze these samples using state-of-the-artmolecular profiling technologies, measuring thousands of biologically relevant molecules, and then apply computational tools to the resulting data to extract potential drivers of a long and healthy lifespan. — We have selected chronic metabolic diseases as our primary focus within age related chronic diseases, given their high prevalence and resulting potential for impact on population health. Chronic metabolic diseases represent some of the largest addressable therapeutics markets. Through our approach, we expect to target outsized commercial opportunities, initially within the obesity and diabetes landscape. For instance, according to third-party estimates, the global market for GLP-1R agonists, including those used to treat diabetes, is expected to grow to $150 billion by 2031. We were incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware on April 1, 2015, under the name BioAge Labs, Inc. Our principal executive offices are located at 1445A South 50th Street, Richmond, California.

About Fortress Biotech

Fortress Biotech, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, develops dermatology, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology products in the United States. The company markets dermatology products, such as Qbrexza a medicated cloth towelette for the treatment of primary axillary hyperhidrosis; Accutane capsules for severe recalcitrant nodular acne; Amzeeq for severe acne vulgaris; Zilxi, a topical foam; Exelderm cream and solution for topical use; Targadox an oral doxycycline drug for adjunctive therapy for severe acne; Luxamend; sulconazole nitrate cream and solution for tinea cruris and tinea corporis; and doxycycline hyclate tablet. It also develops late stage product candidates, such as intravenous Tramadol for the treatment of post-operative acute pain; CUTX-101, an injection for the treatment of Menkes disease; Cosibelimab for metastatic cancers; Olafertinib for the treatment of patients with EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC; CAEL-101 for the treatment of amyloid light chain amyloidosis; Triplex vaccine for cytomegalovirus; and DFD-29 for the treatment of rosacea. The company’s early stage product candidates include Dotinurad for gout; MB-106 for B-cell non-hodgkin lymphoma; MB-101 for glioblastoma; MB-108 for recurrent GBM; MB-109 for refractory glioblastoma; AJ201, an androgen receptor degradation enhancer; BAER-101, a positive allosteric modulator; MB-117 for newly diagnosed x-linked severe combined immunodeficiency; and MB217 for previously transplanted; and MB-110 for RAG1 severe combined immunodeficiency. Its preclinical product candidates comprise Mayo Clinic In Vivo CAR T Platform Technology; AAV-ATP7A gene therapy; AVTS-001 gene therapy; CK-103 BET inhibitor; CEVA-D and CEVA-102; CK-302, an anti-GITR; CK-303, an anti-CAIX; and oligonucleotide platform. The company was formerly known as Coronado Biosciences, Inc. and changed its name to Fortress Biotech, Inc. in April 2015. Fortress Biotech, Inc. was incorporated in 2006 and is based in Bay Harbor Islands, Florida.