Revolution Medicines (RVMD) faces an "uphill battle" in pursuing a potential patent infringement claim against Erasca (ERAS), with such legal action seen as risky and unlikely to be effective, RBC Capital Markets said in a Friday research note.

The investment firm said Revolution Medicines would likely have to rely on a Doctrine of Equivalents argument to prove infringement, a more difficult path than a literal infringement claim, with the doctrine for chemical compound patents largely lacking legal precedent.

The best strategy for Revolution Medicines in the near term would be to try to secure another patent, which, if already pending, may allow the company to pursue a molecule that overlaps more with what Erasca is developing, although this would depend on who filed first.

RBC has an outperform rating with a $182 price target.

Shares of Revolution Medicines were up 1.3% in Friday trading.

Price: 180.44, Change: +2.27, Percent Change: +1.27