The coronavirus is still rampaging throughout the world.
Businesses and schools are closed. Stay at home orders have spread across the U.S. Unemployment has skyrocketed, as the economy grinds to a halt. What’s worse is – at the moment – there’s no solution. There are no vaccines.
However, we may be getting closer.
On April 17, 2020, we brought a few of the top vaccine stories to your attention, with many of them picking up a good deal of momentum.
Gilead Sciences Inc. (GILD)
Gilead (GILD) for example is still running on news its vaccine produced “rapid” recovery in patients. In fact, a University of Chicago Phase 3 drug trial found that most of its patients had “rapid recoveries in fever and respiratory symptoms” and were then discharged from the hospital in less than a week, as reported by CNBC.
Moderna Inc. (MRNA)
Moderna Inc. (MRNA) is up another $4.68 on the day after winning an $843 million U.S. award to develop a vaccine. Moderna hopes to have safety data from Phase 1 trials shortly, which could allow it to advance to the next phase in the second quarter. At the moment, the company is working with the National Institutes of Health on a healthy-volunteer study. Its product is a synthetic strand of messenger RNA (ribonucleic acid), or mRNA (or messenger RNA), designed to convince bodily cells to produce antibodies against the virus.
Inovio Pharmaceuticals (INO)
Inovio Pharmaceuticals (INO) is up 80 cents after starting human trials of its COVID-19 vaccine.
After getting the approval of the U.S. FDA in early April 2020, Inovio vaccine trials began on 40 adult volunteers in Philadelphia and Kansas City.
Takeda Pharmaceuticals (TAK)
Takeda Pharmaceuticals (TAK) is up slightly as it looks into “whether blood plasma from recovered Covid-19 patients, which can contain infection-fighting antibodies, can be used against the illness. Similar treatments have shown promise in treating other serious infections,” says Bloomberg.
BioNTech (BNTX)
BioNTech (BNTX) is up nearly $4 after receiving a $185 million upfront payment from Pfizer for a COVID-19 vaccine development collaboration, says MarketWatch. BNTX could also receive milestone payments of up to $563 million from this, as well.
