Main topic: Moderna's updated COVID-19 vaccine shows efficacy against omicron subvariants.
Key points:
1. Moderna's updated COVID-19 vaccine boosts neutralizing antibodies against omicron subvariants EG.5 and FL.1.5.1.
2. The booster shot is expected to be authorized and rolled out soon.
3. The preliminary trial data aims to reassure concerns about the vaccine's effectiveness against current variants.
Moderna's stock surged after the biotech company partnered with Carsgen to study a new cancer vaccine regimen using mRNA technology, giving Moderna a second opportunity in the field of cancer vaccines.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expects updated COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax to be available to the public in mid-September, providing a more specific timeline for the arrival of the shots, pending approvals from the FDA and CDC.
The United States is still weeks away from distributing Covid booster shots, despite a 21.6% increase in hospitalizations related to the virus, and the effectiveness of the boosters against new virus variants remains uncertain.
The U.S. is experiencing a rise in Covid cases just as new vaccines that protect against the latest variants are almost ready.
Moderna's updated Covid vaccine has shown a strong immune response against the highly mutated omicron variant BA.2.86, suggesting that the vaccine will still be effective against newer variants of the virus.
Two new Covid shots from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna have been approved by the FDA and are expected to be available soon as cases continue to rise in some parts of the US, with preliminary research suggesting they offer protection against the dominant variant and other concerning variants.
The FDA has approved updated COVID-19 vaccine and booster shots, targeting new variants, and making them available for Americans as young as 6 months old from Moderna and Pfizer.
Moderna's experimental mRNA-based seasonal flu vaccine, mRNA-1010, demonstrated a stronger immune response against four strains of the flu virus compared to a currently marketed vaccine, paving the way for potential approval from regulators.
Americans can now receive an updated COVID-19 vaccine to reduce the severity of symptoms, protect against current variants, and curb the risk of "long COVID."
Attitudes about COVID-19 vaccinations in the US are shifting, with survey results showing that about 43% of adults plan to get the latest COVID-19 vaccine, similar to the uptake of the annual flu shot, although concerns about vaccine safety still persist.
Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel asserts that the positive data on the company's influenza vaccine and their plans to launch 15 products in the next five years demonstrate that they are not solely a Covid vaccine company.
Moderna's market cap took a hit after Pfizer's announcement that only 24% of eligible Americans will receive a COVID-19 booster shot, but analysts still project a positive outlook for the next five years with the company's expansion into other areas such as oncology and rare diseases. The target price for Moderna stock is $166.25 per share, indicating a potential upside of 59.67%.
Moderna has announced positive results from a Phase 1/2 clinical trial of its combination vaccine, mRNA-1083, against both influenza and Covid-19, revealing strong immune responses and safety, with a Phase 3 trial planned for this year for adults aged 50 and older.
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