In an interview with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday afternoon, Dr. Anthony Fauci expressed great hope that at least one useful candidate for the coronavirus vaccine will be available for widespread use in a few months.
“[W]We should know as we get closer to mid to late fall, early winter, but probably late fall, if we have candidates who are really safe and effective, “said Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
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“If that is the case, by the time we reach the end of this year, the beginning of the 2021 calendar year, we may have the vaccine, one or more candidates, that is Really safe and effective, “he added.
This helped lift developers’ stocks of leading vaccine candidates to nearly double-digit rates on Friday, far outpacing gains on major equity indices. Actions of Modern (NASDAQ: MRNA) shot almost 15% higher, while Novavax gained almost 17%, and the stock of Inovio Pharmaceuticals recorded a profit that was just below 10%.
Of the three, Moderna is considered by many to be the leader in the coronavirus vaccine career. Fauci has expressed his hope based on the results of the phase 1 clinical trial for his mRNA-1273 announced Tuesday. According to him, Moderna’s data “really looks pretty good. There were no serious adverse events.”
Fauci’s often forceful and sobering views on the coronavirus outbreak have met with some resistance from the White House, as they sometimes conflict with his ambitions to reopen the economy. However, it is widely respected by many health professionals and a large part of the public.
Another factor that propelled manufacturers of coronavirus vaccines on Friday was the news that the European Union is already trying to organize the purchase of possible vaccines from various developers. Moderna is one of these companies.
