|
 Shares of Moderna Inc. gained 4.6% in premarket trading on Monday afer the company said laboratory studies demonstrated that its COVID-19 vaccine can still protect people against two new coronavirus variants: the B.1.1.7 that was first identified in the United Kingdom, and the B.1.351 strain, out of South Africa. The study was not conducted in humans. The findings were released in a news release, and the company said it expects the results to be published in preprint form. Moderna said the in-vitro studies showed that the B.1.1.7 variant had no "significant" impact on neutralizing antibody titers developed as a result of vaccination; however, they also demonstrated that the vaccine was less effective against the B.1.351 variant. In this case, the vaccine still produced levels of neutralizing antibody titers that were protective, but the titer levels were lower. Moderna said it now plans to study booster doses for its two-dose COVID-19 vaccine, to see if a third dose of some kind can increase neutralizing antibody titers and if a booster can specifically protect against the B.1.351 variant. This booster, mRNA-1273.351, will be tested in preclinical studies and a Phase 1 study in the U.S. The U.K. and South Africa variants have caused concern from government officials and medical experts around the world because they are more infectious and carry a higher viral load than other strains of the virus. Moderna's stock has gained 520.3% over the past 12 months, while the S&P 500 is up 15.6%.
Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.
|
|
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday that Moderna Inc.'s COVID-19 vaccine produces an allergic reaction in a small percentage of people, similar to the agency's findings about the coronavirus vaccine developed by BioNTech SE and Pfizer Inc. . Moderna's stock was up 1.6% in premarket trading on Monday. There were 10 cases of anaphylaxis among the roughly 4 million doses administered between Dec. 21 and Jan. 10, according to the CDC report. Both vaccines are mRNA-based vaccines, with similar efficacy rates in clinical trials. They are the only two COVID-19 vaccines that have been authorized in the U.S. so far during the pandemic. The CDC previously recommended that health care providers prepare for the possibility of anaphylaxis among some people who get vaccinated. Moderna's stock has soared 520.3% over the past 12 months, while the S&P 500 is up 15.6%.
Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.
|
|
Merck said Monday it is discontinuing development of its two COVID-19 vaccine candidates following disappointing trial results, and will instead focus on the development of two investigational therapeutic candidates. The decision comes after a review of findings from Phase 1 studies of the vaccine candidates, named V590 and V591, in which immune responses were inferior to those seen following natural infection and in trials of other vaccine candidates. "Merck continues to advance clinical programs and to scale-up manufacturing for two investigational medicines, MK-7110 and MK-4482 (molnupiravir); molnupiravir is being developed in collaboration with Ridgeback Bio," the company said in a statement. The company is expecting to book a charge in the fourth quarter, but did not offer any further details. Merck is still planning to submit the results of the early-stage trial for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Shares fell 1.2% premarket and are down 6% in the last 12 months, while the S&P 500 has gained 16.6%.
Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.
|
|
