Analyzing ProQR Therapeutics (NASDAQ:PRQR) & Santhera Pharmaceuticals (OTCMKTS:SPHDF)

Santhera Pharmaceuticals (OTCMKTS:SPHDF) and ProQR Therapeutics (NASDAQ:PRQR) are both medical companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, valuation, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, earnings, profitability and dividends.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Santhera Pharmaceuticals and ProQR Therapeutics’ revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Santhera Pharmaceuticals	N/A	N/A	N/A	($1.37)	-8.54
ProQR Therapeutics	$7.05 million	26.43	-$30.43 million	($0.39)	-5.87

Santhera Pharmaceuticals has higher earnings, but lower revenue than ProQR Therapeutics. Santhera Pharmaceuticals is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than ProQR Therapeutics, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Profitability

This table compares Santhera Pharmaceuticals and ProQR Therapeutics’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Santhera Pharmaceuticals	N/A	N/A	N/A
ProQR Therapeutics	-431.65%	-56.71%	-19.15%

Institutional & Insider Ownership

8.2% of Santhera Pharmaceuticals shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 32.7% of ProQR Therapeutics shares are owned by institutional investors. 8.4% of ProQR Therapeutics shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent recommendations for Santhera Pharmaceuticals and ProQR Therapeutics, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Santhera Pharmaceuticals	0	0	0	0	N/A
ProQR Therapeutics	0	0	4	0	3.00

ProQR Therapeutics has a consensus price target of $3.56, indicating a potential upside of 55.47%. Given ProQR Therapeutics’ higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe ProQR Therapeutics is more favorable than Santhera Pharmaceuticals.

Summary

ProQR Therapeutics beats Santhera Pharmaceuticals on 7 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Santhera Pharmaceuticals

Santhera Pharmaceuticals Holding AG, a specialty pharmaceutical company, together with its subsidiaries, develops and commercializes medicines for rare neuromuscular and pulmonary diseases with high unmet medical need in the European Union and internationally. The company's lead pipeline candidate includes Vamorolone, which is being developed for the treatments of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Its clinical stage pipeline also comprises Lonodelestat to treat cystic fibrosis and other neutrophilic pulmonary diseases, as well as omigapil that treats congenital muscular dystrophies. The company also out-licenses outside North America and France rights to its approved product, Raxone (idebenone), for the treatment of Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy. Santhera Pharmaceuticals Holding AG was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Pratteln, Switzerland.

About ProQR Therapeutics

ProQR Therapeutics N.V., a biotechnology company, focuses on the discovery and development of novel therapeutic medicines. The company's products pipeline includes AX-0810 for cholestatic diseases targeting Na-taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP); and AX-1412 for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) targeting Beta-1,4-galactosyltransferase 1 (B4GALT1). It also develops various other early-stage research programs, including AX-1005 for undisclosed targets in CVDs; AX-2402, which focuses on Rett syndrome; AX-2911 for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH); AX-0601 for obesity and Type 2 diabetes; and AX-9115 for rare metabolic condition, as well as various other targets. In addition, the company develops Axiomer RNA base-editing platform technology. It has a license agreement with Radboud University Medical Center; Inserm Transfert SA; Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Vico Therapeutics B.V.; University of Rochester; and Leiden University Medical Center, as well as license and research collaboration with Eli Lilly and Company for the discovery, development, and commercialization of potential new medicines for genetic disorders in the liver and nervous system. The company was incorporated in 2012 and is headquartered in Leiden, the Netherlands.