RepliCel Life Sciences Inc (TSXV:RP)
RepliCel is a regenerative medicine company developing autologous cell therapies that address diseases caused by a deficit of healthy cells required for normal healing and function.
The Oxford Covid-19 vaccine that is backed by AstraZeneca (NYSE:AZN) is generating the kind of antibody and T-cell (killer cell) response that the researchers would hope to see, reports Robert Peston, saying the first data is due to be published soon in The Lancet.
“That said, the efficacy will only be properly established in the large phase III programme that is under way in the viral epicentre of Brazil, to deliver a large database that assesses safety as well as efficacy. As I understand, not all of the many vaccines under development across the world increase both antibodies and T-cells. But the Oxford vaccine looks as though it has this twin effect. If proven effective, it could go into mass production as early as September.”
Moderna jumped 17% after the closing bell on Tuesday after the company released data that showed its potential coronavirus vaccine producing a “robust” immune response in all 45 patients in its early human trial.
Coronavirus vaccine names are moving on the latest news in premarket trade: AstraZeneca (AZN) +3.6%; Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) +1.3%, BioNTech (NASDAQ:BNTX) +4.9%. Novavax (NASDAQ:NVAX) and Inovio Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:INO) are unchanged.
London’s Telegraph reports that results from a Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating Oxford University’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 [ADZ1222 by licensee AstraZeneca (NYSE:AZN)] in healthy volunteers showed that it triggered a “double defense” immune response against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Researchers noted that administration of the candidate produced both antibodies and killer T cells. The response, if confirmed, has significant implications for sustained immunity since antibodies may fade away within months while T cells remain in circulation for years.
AZN up 3% after hours.
Tiziana Life Sciences (TLSA -1.4%) is cooling off a bit after a 40% jump in a week and reaching a new high of $10.00 earlier today.
The stock saw a 40% increase in accounts holding the stock on Robinhood over the last few days, which curiously coincided with Tesla’s (TSLA -0.9%) dazzling run.
If there was some ticker confusion behind the sudden intertest in TLSA, those investors will be holding stock of a company pursuing inhalation technology for COVID-19 patients instead of making electric vehicles.
Giddy investors are bidding up AstraZeneca (AZN +6.5%) on reports that it may release an update on COVID-19 vaccine candidate AZD1222 tomorrow.
Yesterday, it announced a collaboration with CRO IQVIA (IQV +2.5%) aimed at accelerating clinical trials.
Several weeks ago, there was a report that two doses of the candidate were sufficient to counter the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Product supplier Oxford Biomedica (OTCPK:OXBDF +5.5%) is up as well.
Ditto for adjuvant supplier GlaxoSmithKline (GSK +2.9%).
Nano cap Immunotep Limited (IMMP +51.8%) is up on a healthy 76x surge in volume in reaction to its receipt of a new U.S. patent (No. 10,711,060) covering the use of LAG-3 antibodies, the basis of its lineup of pipeline programs.
The ‘060 patent is directed to nucleic acid molecules that code for the LAG525 antibody, to expression vectors and host cells that comprise these nucleic acids, and to methods of producing the LAG525 antibody by culturing the host cells of the invention.
LAG525 is a humanized form of the company’s IMP701 antibody out-licensed to Novartis (NVS +0.8%).
