Infectious disease biopharma stocks bounced back in June and July, with the BioWorld Infectious Disease Index (BIDI) closing July up 4.34%. This marked a sharp reversal from earlier in the year, as the BIDI had dropped 17.83% by the end of April and 21.04% by the end of May.
Cancel culture continues at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as it observes National Immunization Awareness Month with another strike against vaccines. This time, a $500 million strike specifically targets 22 mRNA vaccine R&D programs at the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), marking the beginning of the end of BARDA’s funding for mRNA vaccines.
The other shoe dropped on the U.S. CDC’s Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP) when at least nine liaison organizations were informed by email late July 31 that they would no longer be involved in ACIP’s process of reviewing scientific evidence and informing vaccine recommendations.
Chinese vaccine company Ab&B Bio-tech announced an IPO listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX:2627) under which it hopes to raise up to HK$518.36 million (US$66 million) to commercialize its influenza and human rabies vaccines in China and internationally.
Around 10 million people globally live with the life-threatening human T-cell lymphotropic virus type-1 (HTLV-1), yet it remains a poorly understood disease that currently has no preventative treatments and no cure. That could soon change after Australian researchers discovered that existing HIV drugs can suppress transmission of the HTLV-1 virus in mice.
The news that Vinay Prasad has stepped down as CBER director at the U.S. FDA had some biotech stocks literally jumping in joy as the market opened July 30. Meanwhile, Prasad’s decisions regarding vaccine development, as well as actions by Makary and HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy, are coming under fire.
It’s not surprising that, of all the recommendations the U.S. CDC’s vaccine advisory board made at its June meeting, the first one Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy signed off on would essentially remove thimerosal from influenza vaccines in the U.S. What is surprising is the time it took for him to do so, given his long-held position on the preservative used in multidose vials and his insistence that a thimerosal presentation and vote be added to the agenda.
Respiratory vaccines specialist Vicebio Ltd. is to be acquired by Sanofi SA in a $1.6 billion deal, of which $1.15 billion will be paid up front. The acquisition rests on an ongoing phase I trial of the lead asset, VXB-241, a bivalent vaccine that is intended to provide protection against both respiratory syncytial virus and metapneumovirus. The interim analysis of the study showed a favorable safety and tolerability profile in adults, ages 60 and older, and validated the underlying vaccine technology, which is applicable to a wide range of respiratory viruses.
There is still no effective vaccine or cure for HIV. Scientists are considering options ranging from longer-term antiretroviral therapy (ART) that space out injections by several years to long-lasting pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) that acts as a vaccine while immunization is achieved. What else can be done?
SML Biopharm Co. Ltd. is harnessing mRNA technology to develop novel immunotherapy-based cancer vaccines, including two candidates for cervical and head and neck cancers caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.
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