Certara’s Hold Rating: Balancing Short-term Resilience with Long-term Regulatory Opportunities

In a report released yesterday, Michael Cherny from Leerink Partners reiterated a Hold rating on Certara (CERT – Research Report), with a price target of $15.00.

Michael Cherny has given his Hold rating due to a combination of factors surrounding Certara’s recent performance and future prospects. The company recently preannounced its first-quarter results for 2025, which were slightly better than expected, indicating some resilience in a challenging market environment. However, while this is a positive sign, Cherny emphasizes that the real focus should be on the potential long-term benefits from the FDA’s new roadmap aimed at reducing animal testing in preclinical safety studies.
Although Certara’s Simcyp offering could benefit from this shift towards more biosimulation, Cherny notes that these changes are still in their early stages and may not contribute to immediate growth. As such, while there is potential for future upside, the current impact remains uncertain. Consequently, Cherny maintains a Hold rating, reflecting a cautious approach while acknowledging the potential for longer-term growth driven by regulatory changes.

CERT’s price has also changed moderately for the past six months – from $11.210 to $13.880, which is a 23.82% increase.