Posted on 06/26/2020 8:21:15 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Moderna (NASDAQ: MRNA) is seen as the front-runner in the race to develop a Covid-19 vaccine. The clinical-stage biotech company has phase 2 trials underway for its vaccine candidate mRNA-1273 and is expected to commence phase 3 trials in July, in collaboration with the U.S. National Institutes of Health. CEO Stephane Bancel recently estimated the probability of success of the vaccine at close to 80% to 90%, citing the effectiveness of the company’s RNA based platform on other viruses such as MERS, Zika, and Cytomegalovirus
German biotech company BioNTech is working on a Covid-19 vaccine in partnership with Pfizer (NYSE: PFE). While the development uses messenger RNA technology similar to Moderna, this effort focuses on not just one, but four prototypes. The vaccine is in phase 1/2 clinical trials in the U.S. and Germany and the first set of results from the studies are likely to be available in the coming weeks. There is also a possibility that phase 3 trials could begin as early as July, per the Wall Street Journal.
Pharma bellwether Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine is expected to start phase 1/2a trials over the second half of July. This is ahead of the company’s initial timeline of September. The company could have a leg up over rivals in terms of production capacity and distribution reach and has indicated that it aims to supply over one billion doses globally through the course of 2021 if the vaccine proves safe and effective.
(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...
Moderna’s vaccine may be better, but Pfizer has huge capital and can manufacture and distribute more quickly.
Moderna should try to strike a manufacturing/distribution deal with one of the major pharma companies that does not have a promising vaccine.
They have contracted for manufacturing facilities for billions of doses, around the world. The government ( BARDA, NIAID,...) is giving them at least a half billion in development payments, and the company also did a secondary stock offering to finance the push to get manufacturing capacity.
Better to build their own business than give a large share away to established big pharma.
quickly gathered references / examples:
https://www.keionline.org/33150
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.