This Cathie Wood Stock Is Up 47% This Year: Is It Too Late to Buy?

By Prosper Junior Bakiny – Mar 8, 2026 at 5:28PM ESTKey PointsIntellia Therapeutics is getting around a recent major regulatory setback.However, the stock still faces several potential issues.Cathie Wood, the CEO of the investment management firm Ark Invest, is known for focusing on companies with significant innovative potential. One of her firm's picks, Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA +2.02%), fits the bill. Intellia is a mid-cap biotech company specializing in gene editing and developing medicines for diseases for which few exist. The drugmaker has already performed exceptionally well this year, with shares up 47%. Should investors consider purchasing shares of Intellia Therapeutics after this run? Image source: Getty Images. Why Intellia's shares are soaring Intellia Therapeutics' two leading pipeline candidates are lonvo-z and nex-z. The former is an investigational treatment for hereditary angioedema, a rare condition that causes painful episodes of swelling across the body, including on the limbs and face. Nex-z targets transthyretin amyloidosis, a genetic disease that results in the malfunctioning of the transthyretin protein and can cause a range of life-threatening cardiovascular issues. Last year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) put two phase 3 studies for nex-z on clinical hold after a patient died in one of them due to liver failure. Here's the good news: The FDA has now lifted these clinical holds and allowed Intellia Therapeutics to move forward with its clinical studies. Since the stock fell following these negative developments last year, it's not surprising to see it bounce back while the biotech takes a giant step toward putting these issues in the rearview mirror. ExpandNASDAQ: NTLAIntellia TherapeuticsToday's Change(2.02%) $0.27Current Price$13.41Key Data PointsMarket Cap$1.6BDay's Range$12.60 - $13.5452wk Range$5.90 - $28.25Volume76KAvg Vol4.8MGross Margin76.43% Reasons to be cautious about Intellia Therapeutics Despite the good news, there are good reasons to remain skeptical of Intellia Therapeutics' prospects. First, neither the company nor regulators have revealed whether or not nex-z caused the liver issues that led to the patient's death. Without that bit of information, Intellia Therapeutics could, for all we know, run into similar issues in the near future. True, the company is taking a more careful approach in its late-stage studies for nex-z moving forward. It will exclude patients with certain liver issues (and several other health problems), for instance, while carefully monitoring signs of liver inflammation. However, the fact that nex-z could still be responsible for the patient's death is a bit worrying. Gene editing medicines already have a hard time ramping up commercial efforts because they are usually costly and complex to administer, making it challenging for third-party payers to adopt them. A lingering safety issue won't make anything easier for the company. That's before we throw in the usual potential clinical and regulatory roadblocks Intellia Therapeutics could run into that would sink its stock price. True, the company does have things going its way, such as its partnership with biotech giant Regeneron to develop nex-z. Also, there are hundreds of thousands of patients worldwide with transthyretin amyloidosis, and unlike current medicines, nex-z would be a one-and-done treatment for the disease. These are some reasons Intellia Therapeutics could be a promising biotech. However, given the significant risks, only investors comfortable with heightened volatility should consider the stock.Read NextFeb 7, 2026 •By Prosper Junior BakinyThis Cathie Wood Stock Is Already Up 41% This Year, But Is It a Buy?Dec 29, 2025 •By Prosper Junior Bakiny2 Beaten-Down Stocks That Will Soar in 2026, According to Wall StreetNov 15, 2025 •By Prosper Junior Bakiny2 Beaten-Down Stocks to Avoid Right NowNov 2, 2025 •By Prosper Junior BakinyMeet the Beaten-Down Biotech Stock Cathie Wood Loves and Wall Street Says May Soar More Than 130%Oct 7, 2025 •By Prosper Junior Bakiny1 Stock Up by 63% This Year That Could Double, According to Wall StreetFeb 27, 2025 •By Motley Fool Markets TeamIntellia Therapeutics Delivers a Q4 BeatAbout the AuthorProsper Junior Bakiny is a contributing Motley Fool healthcare analyst covering biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and healthcare stocks.

Before The Motley Fool, Prosper wrote about investing topics ranging from stock market news to private equity for various companies. He holds a master’s degree in corporate finance from the University of Maryland Global Campus.TMFPBakinyStocks MentionedIntellia TherapeuticsNASDAQ: NTLA$13.44(+2.21%)+$0.29*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.