Vertex Pharmaceuticals Q1 Earnings Review: Pharma May Need Bolder M&A Strategy

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated delivered strong Q1 2026 earnings, with $2.99bn revenue and $4.02 EPS, but revenue growth is slowing as CF market saturates. VRTX's cystic fibrosis franchise remains dominant and highly profitable, but diversification efforts—Casgevy, Journavx, and povetacicept—face slow uptake or intense competition. Forward P/E of ~26.5x and P/S of ~8.3x are above Big Pharma averages, reflecting market concerns about future growth for VRTX beyond CF.