Moderna shares rose 7% after Cowen upgraded the stock, saying it will “be the leader” in RSV vaccines

Moderna’s shares jumped almost 7% on Wednesday after TD Cowen upgraded the stock, saying the company “will be the leader” in the RSV vaccine market.

TD Cowen also spoke about Moderna’s other vaccine candidates for illnesses such as influenza, which could help the company become “less dependent” on new waves of Covid-19. Shares closed at $147.90 a share.

“It is clear that mRNA vaccines could be disruptive to the traditional vaccine market, as they can simply target complex antigens, and their rapid cell-free production could lead to an approved product in record time,” wrote Cowen analysts, led by Tyler Wang. Buren. increase in the level of shares from the market to the best. “The immediate and mid-term evaluation of Moderna is becoming less dependent on the emergence of new epidemic waves associated with COVID, and more on PCV, RSV and influenza.”

The update comes as Moderna experiences a post-pandemic era boom driven by its Covid mRNA vaccine. The company has become a household name for its messenger RNA technology, which teaches human cells to make a protein that initiates an immune response against a specific disease.

Cowan pointed to the company’s potential RSV vaccine, noting that key opinion leaders believe RSV will be a “three-player vaccine market” between Moderna and drug makers Pfizer and GSK. Three companies are vying for approval of the world’s first vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus, which attacks the lungs and airways and usually causes mild cold symptoms.

While most people get better in a week or two, RSV can be serious, especially for infants and the elderly.

The note states that the Moderna RSV vaccine performed well in clinical trials and was well tolerated by patients.

Moderna RSV vaccines for adults aged 60 and over received breakthrough therapy status from the Food and Drug Administration at the end of January. The designation is intended to expedite the development and review of drugs for serious or life-threatening conditions and was based on positive key data from the phase 3 Moderna vaccine clinical trial.

Moderna’s vaccine was Efficiency 83.7% in preventing RSV with two or more symptoms in people aged 60 years and older, and 82.4% effective in preventing lower respiratory disease with three or more symptoms. No safety issues were identified during the trial, and the company said it intends to release the full data set and share the results during an upcoming medical conference.

The effectiveness of the Moderna vaccine is on a par with the GSK vaccine: an analysis of the company’s data by the FDA showed that during trials, the vaccine was approximately 83% effective in preventing lower respiratory infections caused by RSV.

But GSK and Pfizer are still one step ahead of Moderna. Earlier this month, an independent panel of consultants from the Food and Drug Administration recommended GSK RSV Vaccine for adults aged 60 and over, etc. shot from Pfizer for the same age group.

Cowan noted that Moderna believes that its competitors’ regulatory support for RSV candidates “should be read” before its own.