The United States Congressional Budget Office projects that the COVID-19 pandemic will cause more than $ 16 billion in damage to the United States economy over the next decade. More than 140,000 Americans have already died from the coronavirus, which means that in the span of six and a half months, SARS-CoV-2 has killed more people than the number of Americans who die each year from opioid overdoses (46,000 ), traffic accidents (36,500) and armed violence (40,000) combined.
The COVID-19 pandemic is not declining in the U.S., with more than 70,000 new cases per day as of July 15. Almost 25 states have reversed their reopening plans as the nation struggles to contain the deadly virus.
Fortunately, there are more than 140 coronavirus vaccines in development. Outside of this group, four vaccines are currently pioneers. Let’s see which vaccine company is the best buy for investors.
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Four rising stars in search of a cure
First is Modern‘s (NASDAQ: MRNA) MRNA-1273, a vaccine containing strands of messenger ribonucleic acid that encode the peak (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2, which is responsible for facilitating the entry of the virus into host cells. The vaccine is theorized to work by causing the body’s immune system to recognize the S proteins in its vaccine to defend itself, so it is ready in the event that SARS-CoV-2 enters the body. In phase 1 clinical trials, the 45 healthy volunteers who received mRNA-1273 developed neutralizing antibodies (antibodies that can fight SARS-CoV-2). The vaccine will enter phase 3 on July 27.
The second is Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) and BioNTech‘s (NASDAQ: BNTX) BNT162b1. Like mRNA-1273, BNT162b1 is also a messenger RNA vaccine, except that it encodes a specific SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain. The vaccine also has a similar mechanism of action to mRNA-1273. In addition, the 45 healthy subjects who received the vaccine from Pfizer and BioNtech in phase 1/2 trials developed neutralizing antibodies. The BNT162b1 phase 3 clinical trial is scheduled to start shortly.
The third candidate at stake is Inovio Pharmaceuticals‘ (NASDAQ: INO) INO-4800. INO-4800 is an offshoot of the two mRNA vaccines discussed above, as it features DNA encoding the messenger RNA encoding the SARS-CoV-2 protein S.
In phase 1 trials, 34 of 36 participants who received INO-4800 developed an immune response. However, it is not known what percentage of patients developed neutralizing antibodies. Without this metric, definitive efficacy claims cannot be established.
By last, AstraZeneca (NYSE: AZN) and the University of Oxford are developing their own version of a vaccine that encodes the SARS-CoV-2 protein S. The vaccine is labeled AZD1222 and is made from a weakened version of the common cold virus. The results of Phase 1 will be published on July 20. The company has already announced that AZD1222 not only produced antibodies when administered to trial participants, but also led to the development of killer T cells against SARS-CoV-2. The vaccine is currently in phase 3.
So which company is the best buy?
While all of the companies mentioned are making significant progress in the race to develop a coronavirus vaccine, AstraZeneca’s AD1222 is currently the most promising candidate due to its ability to produce antibodies and a killer T-cell response. more evidence that a T-cell response is as important as neutralizing antibodies in the fight against SARS-CoV-2.
A recent study showed that antibodies to the coronavirus begin to disappear in three weeks and disappear completely in three months. However, killer T cells can circulate within the body for years after injection. Therefore, the AstraZeneca vaccine has the potential to become a double defense against SARS-CoV-2.
The company launched a phase 3 clinical trial evaluating AZD1222 on July 4 and has the manufacturing capacity to produce 2 billion doses if approved. Since the vaccine offers the potential to save countless lives and alleviate the economic impact, I recommend that investors add AstraZeneca to their portfolios.
