Head-To-Head Comparison: Sorrento Therapeutics (OTCMKTS:SRNEQ) and Atyr PHARMA (NASDAQ:ATYR)

Atyr PHARMA (NASDAQ:ATYR) and Sorrento Therapeutics (OTCMKTS:SRNEQ) are both small-cap medical companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, valuation, analyst recommendations, risk, profitability, institutional ownership and earnings.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

61.7% of Atyr PHARMA shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 0.0% of Sorrento Therapeutics shares are held by institutional investors. 3.7% of Atyr PHARMA shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 2.6% of Sorrento Therapeutics shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Profitability

This table compares Atyr PHARMA and Sorrento Therapeutics’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Atyr PHARMA	N/A	-65.35%	-49.81%
Sorrento Therapeutics	N/A	N/A	N/A

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Atyr PHARMA and Sorrento Therapeutics”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Atyr PHARMA	$588,000.00	204.22	-$50.39 million	($0.90)	-1.93
Sorrento Therapeutics	$62.84 million	0.03	-$572.84 million	N/A	N/A

Atyr PHARMA has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Sorrento Therapeutics.

Risk and Volatility

Atyr PHARMA has a beta of 1.22, meaning that its share price is 22% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Sorrento Therapeutics has a beta of 2.25, meaning that its share price is 125% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent recommendations and price targets for Atyr PHARMA and Sorrento Therapeutics, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Atyr PHARMA	0	0	3	0	3.00
Sorrento Therapeutics	0	0	0	0	N/A

Atyr PHARMA currently has a consensus price target of $20.00, indicating a potential upside of 1,049.43%. Given Atyr PHARMA’s higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Atyr PHARMA is more favorable than Sorrento Therapeutics.

Summary

Atyr PHARMA beats Sorrento Therapeutics on 6 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Atyr PHARMA

aTyr Pharma, Inc., a biotherapeutics company, engages in the discovery and development of medicines based on novel immunological pathways in the United States. Its lead therapeutic candidate is efzofitimod, a selective modulator of NRP2 that is in Phase III clinical trial for pulmonary sarcoidosis; and in Phase 1b/2a clinical trial for treatment of other interstitial lung diseases (ILDs), such as chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis and connective tissue disease related ILD. The company is developing ATYR0101, a fusion protein derived from a domain of aspartyl-tRNA synthetase that is in preclinical development for the treatment of fibrosis; and ATYR0750, a domain of alanyl-tRNA synthetase for the treatment of liver disorders. It has collaboration and license agreement with Kyorin Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. for the development and commercialization of efzofitimod for ILDs in Japan. aTyr Pharma, Inc. was incorporated in 2005 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.

About Sorrento Therapeutics

Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical and commercial stage biopharmaceutical company, develops a portfolio of next-generation treatments for three therapeutic areas: cancer, infectious disease,and pain. It operates through two segments, Sorrento Therapeutics and Scilex. The company provides cancer therapeutic by leveraging its proprietary G-MAB antibody library and targeted delivery modalities, which include chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy (CAR-T), dimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, and antibody drug conjugate, as well as bispecific antibody approach; and Sofusa, a drug delivery technology that deliver biologic directly into the lymphatic system. Its clinical programs in development include anti-CD38 CAR-T therapy for the treatment of multiple myeloma, as well as for amyloidosis and graft versus host disease. The company develops resiniferatoxin, a non-opioid-based TRPV1 agonist neurotoxin for late stage cancer and osteoarthritis pain treatment; and ZTlido, a lidocaine topical system for the treatment of post-herpetic neuralgia. It engages in the development of SEMDEXA, an injectable viscous gel formulation, which is Phase III trial for the treatment of sciatica, a pathology of low back pain; SP-103, an investigational non-aqueous lidocaine topical system undergoing clinical development in chronic low back pain condition; and SP-104, a novel low-dose delayed-release naltrexone hydrochloride formulation for the treatment of fibromyalgia. It has collaboration with SmartPharm Therapeutics Inc. to develop gene-encoded antibody vaccine to protect against COVID-19; and Mayo Clinic for Phase Ib pilot study using sofusa lymphatic drug delivery technology to deliver Ipilimumab in patient with melanoma. The company was founded in 2006 and is based in San Diego, California. On February 13, 2023, Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc., along with its affiliate, filed a voluntary petition for reorganization under Chapter 11 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. The plan was later approved as Chapter 11 liquidation on November 30, 2023.