H.C. Wainwright on Wednesday reconfirmed a Buy rating on Maze Therapeutics, preserving a $60.00 price target for the clinical-stage biotech. The firm noted that its target implies roughly a 32% upside from the stock's then-current price of $45.34, with shares trading near a 52-week high of $47.36.
InvestingPro data referenced by analysts shows the shares have returned 184% over the past year. H.C. Wainwright pointed to a recent perspective in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, titled "The Use of Extrapolation to Promote Clinical Trials in Pediatric Nephrology," as supporting evidence for a potentially streamlined regulatory route that could favor Maze's development program.
The JASN piece, according to H.C. Wainwright, highlights a longstanding 13-year gap between adult and pediatric drug approvals that frequently leads to off-label pediatric use without established dosing or safety guidance. The publication describes a framework of "pediatric extrapolation," in which efficacy evidence from adults may be bridged to pediatric populations when disease pathophysiology and treatment response are consistent across age groups.
H.C. Wainwright emphasized that this extrapolation framework is particularly applicable to Maze because APOL1-mediated kidney disease (AMKD) is driven by the same genetic mechanism - APOL1 pore formation - across age cohorts. The firm framed that biological consistency as a potential basis for regulatory efficiency.
Investor metrics cited in the research note include a market capitalization of $2.18 billion for Maze and an InvestingPro financial health rating of "GOOD." The InvestingPro service reportedly provides 13 additional insights on MAZE's financial outlook and growth potential.
Analyst activity around Maze has accelerated in recent weeks. Guggenheim raised its price target to $46 from $34 while keeping a Buy rating, highlighting confidence in the company's chronic kidney disease program after Phase 1 results and pointing to a planned Phase 2 study in 2026.
Leerink Partners raised its target from $34 to $50 and maintained an Outperform rating, noting the market's focus on Phase 2 HORIZON study results for APOL1-mediated kidney disease anticipated in 2026. H.C. Wainwright itself also increased its prior target - from $50 to $60 - and cited the upcoming pivotal Phase 2 HORIZON trial readout as a key valuation driver.
Other recent coverage includes Wells Fargo initiating with an Overweight rating and a $55 target, pointing to the company's opportunity in rare kidney diseases, and Raymond James launching coverage with an Outperform rating and a $48 price target that emphasized Maze's genetic platform for discovering new therapies.
Together, the series of upward revisions and new initiations reflect rising analyst interest and generally constructive sentiment toward Maze's clinical and commercial prospects ahead of the Phase 2 readout window.
While the commentary and target revisions underscore positive analyst views, the company remains subject to clinical and regulatory milestones that will shape near-term valuation. The timing and outcome of the HORIZON trial, and the extent to which regulators accept pediatric extrapolation for APOL1-mediated disease, are explicit factors identified by analysts as central to the company's trajectory.