The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi, CureVac and Vir Biotechnology

In this article:

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – May 19, 2021 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: GlaxoSmithKline plc GSK, Sanofi SNY, CureVac N.V. CVAC and Vir Biotechnology, Inc. VIR.

Here are highlights from Tuesday’s Analyst Blog:

Glaxo/Medicago Covid-19 Vaccine Shows Strong Immune Response

GlaxoSmithKline and privately-held Medicago announced promising interim data from a phase II/III study evaluating their COVID-19 vaccine candidate.

Data from the study showed that people vaccinated with the candidate achieved 10-fold neutralizing antibody responses compared to a panel of sera from people who are recovering naturally from COVID-19 infection. Moreover, antibody responses were similar in both adults and in the elderly.

Please note that Glaxo and Medicago had collaborated last year to develop Medicago's recombinant Coronavirus Virus-Like Particles (CoVLP) in combination with Glaxo's pandemic adjuvant system.

The companies seem to be progressing well with the development of their COVID-19 vaccine candidate. The safety and immunogenicity demonstrated in an early-stage study was sustained into the phase II/III study.

The phase II/III study is multi-portion study where the phase II portion is evaluating two doses (3.75 µg each) of a refrigerator-stable formulation of CoVLP combined with Glaxo's pandemic adjuvant administered 21 days apart for an acceptable immunogenicity and safety profile in adults (18-64 years), elderly (65 years and above) and adults with comorbidities. A very strong immune response and well-tolerated profile of the candidate as observed during the interim analysis of the study reinforces its potential benefits.

The study will continue to assess safety and durability of the immune responses of the vaccine candidate for 12 months after the second-dose in all participants.

Meanwhile, the companies initiated the phase III portion of the study in March that will evaluate the efficacy and safety of the candidate plus pandemic adjuvant in up to 30,000 subjects across several countries.

The companies anticipate to manufacture approximately 100 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine candidate by the end of 2021, if approved. They expect to deliver up to 1 billion doses annually by the end of 2023. They may extend their collaboration to develop a post-pandemic COVID-19 vaccine candidate as well as vaccine candidates for other infectious diseases.

So far this year, Glaxo's shares have gained 7.6% compared with the industry's 6.5% increase.

Glaxo has formed several collaborations to make its pandemic adjuvant technology available to partners, including its scientific partners in North America, Europe and China, who are making adjuvanted COVID-19 vaccine candidates. The company is developing another adjuvanted COVID-19 vaccine in collaboration with Sanofi. Glaxo has also collaborated with CureVac to jointly develop multi-valent mRNA vaccines for COVID-19.

Apart from COVID-19 vaccines, Glaxo is also engaged in developing antibody therapeutic for COVID-19 infection in collaboration with Vir Biotechnology.

Zacks Rank

Glaxo currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Infrastructure Stock Boom to Sweep America

A massive push to rebuild the crumbling U.S. infrastructure will soon be underway. It's bipartisan, urgent, and inevitable. Trillions will be spent. Fortunes will be made.

The only question is "Will you get into the right stocks early when their growth potential is greatest?"

Zacks has released a Special Report to help you do just that, and today it's free. Discover 7 special companies that look to gain the most from construction and repair to roads, bridges, and buildings, plus cargo hauling and energy transformation on an almost unimaginable scale.

Download FREE: How to Profit from Trillions on Spending for Infrastructure >>

Media Contact

Zacks Investment Research

800-767-3771 ext. 9339

support@zacks.com                       

https://www.zacks.com

Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.


Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
 
Sanofi (SNY) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Vir Biotechnology, Inc. (VIR) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
CureVac N.V. (CVAC) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
 
Zacks Investment Research

Advertisement