BTIG analyst Thomas Shrader initiated Esperion (ESPR) with a Buy rating and a price target of $82, saying that with its development of bempedoic acid, or BA, to reduce cholesterol, the next key question is about the drug's safety. The analyst notes that while the data from Study 1 in May were disappointing, Study 2 readout in the next few weeks should have more answers. Shrader adds that the introduction of "non-stain" into the cholesterol market has already worked for Merck's (MRK) Zetia, and if BA is perceived well on its safety profile, it is "highly supportive" of its investment story.