** Shares of hormonal disease-focused drug developer Crinetics CRNX.O rise 1.6% to $37.1 in premarket after TD Cowen starts coverage with a "buy" rating

** TD Cowen forecasts sales of $4 billion for co's experimental lead drugs by 2035

** Brokerage says market potential of co's once-daily pill paltusotine could be substantial, given similar drugs from Novartis NOVN.S and Ipsen IPN.PA collectively brought in $2.5 billion of sales in 2023

** Co is testing paltusotine to treat acromegaly, a condition in which excess growth hormone is produced, as well as carcinoid syndrome that causes symptoms from rare tumors

** CRNX is testing another drug, atumelnant, for a rare genetic disorder called congenital adrenal hyperplasia $(CAH)$ and Cushing's syndrome, a hormonal disorder

** "The company's success partly relies on its ability to obtain and maintain patent protection in the US and other countries for its product candidates," brokerage says

** Stock rose 44% in 2024

(Reporting by Padmanabhan Ananthan)

((Padmanabhan.Ananthan@thomsonreuters.com;))