What happened
Dynavax (NASDAQ: DVAX) Shares were trading 6.5% lower at 3:35 pm EDT on Wednesday after the competition Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) Reported data showing that their vaccine produces a significantly higher number of antibodies than those found in patients recovered with COVID-19.
And that
Dynavax is collaborating with several companies on the development of a COVID-19 vaccine, but trials involving the adjuvant that is helping to stimulate immune responses in these collaborations have only just begun, suggesting that other players, including Pfizer, may come up with to the market before.
Image source: Getty Images.
On Wednesday, Pfizer and its partner, BioNTech (NASDAQ: BNTX), announced a vaccine candidate who is being evaluated in a small phase 1/2 trial that resulted in neutralizing antibody levels that were up to 2.8 times higher than the levels seen in patients recovered with COVID-19. The news suggests Pfizer could meet its goal of advancing at least one vaccine in a large phase 2b / 3 clinical trial starting next month.
Given that Pfizer’s success suggests that it may be ahead of Dynavax in the race to launch an FDA-approved vaccine, Dynavax’s potential market opportunity may end up being smaller than previously anticipated.
Now than
Several health care companies are at various stages of development of the COVID-19 vaccine, including Modern, which is already in phase 2 studies for its candidate mRNA vaccine.
It is too early to say which vaccine will be available first, or which vaccine candidate will work best. A phase 1 trial conducted by one of Dynavax collaborators Clover Biopharmaceuticals recently began recruiting patients, so investors may not want to count the company just yet. If evidence emerges that one of the vaccines incorporating Dynavax technology produces neutralizing antibodies at a level similar to or greater than that of Pfizer, you could eventually see your actions bounce back.
