Vir Biotechnology (NASDAQ:VIR) Releases Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.18 EPS

Key Points

• Vir Biotechnology reported a quarterly loss of $0.57 per share, beating analyst expectations of a $0.75 loss by $0.18, while revenue of $0.19 million missed the $0.98 million estimate.
• The company expects key hepatitis delta Phase III results in late 2026 and early 2027; its VIR-5500 prostate cancer program is also moving toward planned Phase III studies in 2027.
• Vir had $901 million in cash, equivalents, and investments at quarter-end and expects funding into the second half of 2028. A Gilead deal added $65 million upfront and a $25 million equity investment, with further payments contingent on milestones.

Vir Biotechnology (NASDAQ:VIR - Get Free Report) released its earnings results on Wednesday. The company reported ($0.57) earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.75) by $0.18, FiscalAI reports. The firm had revenue of ($0.19) million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $0.98 million.

Here are the key takeaways from Vir Biotechnology's conference call:

• Hepatitis delta phase III results are approaching: Vir expects ECLIPSE 1 top-line data in Q4 2026, followed by ECLIPSE 2 and 3 in Q1 2027. The trials assess its combination regimen in treatment-naïve patients, patients switching from bulevirtide, and a head-to-head comparison with bulevirtide; management believes the program could offer deep viral suppression and less frequent dosing.
• VIR-5500 advanced toward pivotal development: Astellas and Vir say the prostate cancer T-cell engager achieved proof of concept based on combined clinical, safety, pharmacology, and biomarker data, and the FDA granted it fast-track designation for late-line mCRPC. The companies aim to begin multiple phase III studies in 2027, though Vir did not disclose response durability or detailed trial plans.
• Gilead collaboration adds funding and validates Vir’s platform: Vir received $65 million upfront plus a $25 million equity investment at a 30% premium, and is eligible for $45 million in near-term preclinical milestones, up to $1.74 billion in additional milestones, and tiered royalties. Gilead will take responsibility for later development, manufacturing, and commercialization of candidates; milestone and royalty payments are contingent.
• Vir reported $901 million in cash, equivalents, and investments at quarter-end, excluding the $90 million Gilead payment received in October. Management expects its cash to fund operations into the second half of 2028, based on its current operating plan.
• VIR-5818’s data update has been pushed out: Following FDA feedback on the monotherapy arm, Vir plans to add backfill cohorts in a more homogeneous patient population to refine dose and schedule. The study remains ongoing and the data set is incomplete, although combination dose optimization continues.

Vir Biotechnology Stock Up 4.9%

VIR stock traded up $0.55 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $11.77. 2,804,641 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,362,147. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.99 billion, a P/E ratio of -6.33 and a beta of 1.70. Vir Biotechnology has a 1 year low of $4.82 and a 1 year high of $12.19. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $10.99 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $9.53.

Analyst Ratings Changes

VIR has been the subject of several research reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Vir Biotechnology from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 8th. Weiss Ratings restated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a report on Friday, October 2nd. HC Wainwright boosted their target price on shares of Vir Biotechnology from $20.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, October 7th. Zacks Research cut shares of Vir Biotechnology from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 6th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reaffirmed a "strong-buy" rating on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a report on Monday, September 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $21.86.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Vanina de Verneuil sold 2,407 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.10, for a total transaction of $26,717.70. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 110,193 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,223,142.30. The trade was a 2.14% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. 2.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About Vir Biotechnology

Vir Biotechnology, Inc is a clinical-stage immunology company focused on developing medicines to prevent and treat serious infectious diseases and other immune-related conditions. The company uses antibody engineering, immunologic approaches and other technologies to identify and advance therapies designed to harness or modify the immune system.

Vir's research and development programs have included treatments and vaccines for hepatitis B, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), influenza and other infectious diseases.

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