ADMA Biologics (ADMA Quick QuoteADMA - Free Report) markets plasma-derived biologics for the treatment of immune deficiencies and the prevention of certain infectious diseases.

Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA Quick QuoteNTLA - Free Report) is a biopharmaceutical company focused on advancing CRISPR gene-editing and related technologies to develop potentially curative therapies for severe diseases. Leveraging deep expertise in science, technology, and clinical development, the company aims to transform patient care by targeting the underlying causes of disease and redefining the future of medicine.

ADMA Biologics and Intellia Therapeutics operate in distinct areas of biotechnology, but they are comparable in terms of market capitalization, as both are generally viewed as small- to mid-cap biotech companies.

Hence, let us delve into their fundamentals, growth prospects, challenges and valuation levels to make a prudent choice.  

The Case for ADMA Biologics  

ADMA Biologics markets plasma-derived biologics for the treatment of immune deficiencies and the prevention of certain infectious diseases.

The company’s top line currently comprises sales of three FDA-approved products — Bivigam (an Intravenous Immune Globulin [“IVIG”] product to treat primary humoral immunodeficiency), Asceniv (to treat primary immunodeficiency disease or PIDD) and Nabi-HB (to treat and provide enhanced immunity against the hepatitis B virus).

However, ADMA is currently grappling with macro challenges in the immunoglobulin (IG) products market.  

Total revenues in the first quarter were $114.5 million, down 0.3% from the year-ago quarter’s level. Bivigam revenues declined 54% year over year.  

Management noted that increased competition, elevated channel inventories and aggressive pricing activity in standard IG products created temporary pressure on top-line performance, particularly for Bivigam.

Late-quarter inventory shifts pushed certain contractual purchase orders expected in March into early April, affecting the timing of reported revenues. The company said these delays were partly due to temporary shortages in required safety stock levels at some customers and were resolved within the applicable cure period.

Asceniv, its lead product, is a plasma-derived IVIG that contains naturally occurring polyclonal antibodies. It remained the key contributor to ADMA’s revenue performance, while the company’s other product lines trended in the opposite direction. 

Asceniv recorded 28% year-over-year revenue growth, driven by record utilization, expanding prescriber adoption, strong patient adherence and continued new patient starts.

ADMA emphasized that underlying Asceniv demand remained strong, citing record utilization growth, record new patient starts, expanding prescriber breadth and steady patient adherence. ADMA also noted that April demand supported a second-quarter run rate consistent with first-quarter direct sales, giving early signs of normalization in ordering patterns.  

ADMA continued progressing SG-001, its hyperimmune globulin program targeting S. pneumoniae. Management reiterated a capital-efficient approach to development and believes the program could represent a meaningful long-term opportunity, citing an estimated $300 million to $500 million annual market opportunity if approved.

The Case for NTLA  

Intellia Therapeutics represents a high-growth biotechnology company with significant upside potential driven by its leadership in CRISPR-based gene-editing therapies. The company has spent more than a decade developing proprietary technologies, including gene editing, oligonucleotides and lipid nanoparticle delivery systems, to advance first-in-class treatments for severe diseases.

Its lead candidates, lonvoguran ziclumeran (lonvo-z) for hereditary angioedema (HAE) and nexiguran ziclumeran for ATTR amyloidosis, are the first in vivo genome-editing therapies to enter phase III development. These one-time intravenous treatments target diseases with high unmet need and could potentially offer durable or curative benefits, creating a large commercial opportunity if approved.

Lonvoguran ziclumeran is an investigational one-time CRISPR-based therapy developed by NTLA to treat HAE by permanently reducing kallikrein production in the liver, with the goal of dramatically lowering or eliminating HAE attacks.

In the phase III HAELO study, lonvo-z achieved positive top-line results, reducing HAE attacks by 87% versus placebo and meeting all key secondary endpoints with strong statistical significance. The therapy also demonstrated favorable safety and tolerability, with no serious adverse events reported. Following these results, NTLA initiated a rolling BLA submission to the FDA, targeting a potential launch in the first half of 2027 in the United States.  

NTLA’s other candidate, nexiguran ziclumeran (nex-z) is an investigational one-time CRISPR-based therapy designed to silence the TTR gene in the liver, potentially halting or reversing ATTR amyloidosis through durable reduction of TTR protein levels.

The company faced a temporary setback in late 2025 after a patient death led the FDA to place clinical holds on the phase III MAGNITUDE studies on nex-z. However, the FDA lifted both holds in early 2026, allowing patient screening to resume. Nex-z is being co-developed with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, which shares development costs and future commercial profits under the collaboration agreement.

The successful development and commercialization of these candidates could position Intellia as a pioneer in the emerging gene-editing market and significantly expand its long-term revenue potential. Intellia ended the first quarter of 2026 with $517.2 million in cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities.

The company further strengthened its balance sheet through a public stock offering in April 2026 that generated approximately $207 million in gross proceeds. Management expects its current cash reserves to fund operations into 2028, extending well beyond the anticipated U.S. commercial launch of lonvo-z in the first half of 2027.  

A Look at Estimates: ADMA vs NTLA  

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ADMA’s 2026 sales implies a year-over-year increase of 5.86%, and that for earnings per share (EPS) suggests an improvement of 40%.  However, EPS estimates for 2026 and 2027 have moved south in the past 60 days.  

ADMA’s Estimate Movement  

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NTLA’s 2026 sales implies a year-over-year decrease of 7.75%, while that for EPS suggests an improvement of 13.65%. Loss estimates for both 2026 and 2027 have narrowed in the past 60 days.  

NTLA Estimate Movement

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Price Performance and Valuation of ADMA and NTLA

From a price-performance perspective, NTLA has performed well so far this year versus ADMA. Shares of ADMA have plunged 55.3%. In contrast, NTLA shares have surged 40.3%. The industry has declined 0.5% in the said period.  

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, ADMA’s shares currently trade at 3.19X forward sales, lower than 9.71X for NTLA.  

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Which Stock Is a Better Pick for Now?  

ADMA currently has a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) while NTLA carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).  

You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Although demand for ADMA’s Asceniv continues to be solid, broader pressure across the U.S. plasma-derived products space suggests a more cautious near-term outlook. Competitive intensity, pricing dynamics and market share concerns could continue to weigh on growth visibility and margin expansion prospects.  

In contrast, Intellia is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing CRISPR-based gene-editing therapies designed to potentially cure severe diseases by targeting their underlying genetic causes. NTLA strengthened its investment case after reporting positive phase III top-line data for lonvo-z in April 2026, with a commercial launch planned for the first half of 2027. Successful commercialization could position Intellia as a pioneer in the emerging gene-editing market and significantly expand its long-term revenue potential.

Hence, we prefer NTLA over ADMA, given its significant growth opportunity in genetic medicine and the recent positive revisions to earnings estimates.