Vaccines
Novavax’s shared jumped 12% in pre-market trading on the news.
While Moderna’s Spikevax beat Wall Street estimates in the third quarter, William Blair analyst Myles Minter in a Thursday note to investors said sales of the company’s respiratory syncytial virus vaccine mRESVIA was significantly lower than expected.
BMO Capital Markets analyst Evan Seigerman in a note to investors called Gilead’s third-quarter performance “consistent” and “steady,” while noting the company continues to demonstrate “reliable strength” in its human immunodeficiency virus business.
Driven by the early approval of its updated COVID-19 vaccine, BioNTech far exceeded analysts’ expectations in the third quarter and reported its first quarterly profit in 2024. However, the German biotech also cut its outlook for the year.
Offsetting Merck’s growth in the third quarter were disappointing revenues from its HPV vaccine Gardasil and type 2 diabetes pill Januvia, with the company on Thursday narrowing its 2024 sales and adjusted profit outlooks.
The French drugmaker’s newly launched respiratory syncytial virus antibody Beyfortus far exceeded analyst expectations, bringing in almost $700 million in the third quarter. Leerink Partners analyst David Risinger in a Friday note to investors said Sanofi expects Q4 Beyfortus sales similar to Q3.
The CDC’s vaccine advisors on Thursday maintained that respiratory syncytial virus immunization is only recommended for adults aged 75 and older, and in seniors 60 to 74 years who are at risk of severe disease.
The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on Wednesday backed the use of Merck’s Capvaxive and Pfizer’s Prevnar 20 in adults between 50-64 years of age, opening a bigger market for the respective companies.
Pfizer’s Abrysvo is the first respiratory syncytial virus vaccine that can be used for adults less than 50 years of age. Tuesday’s label expansion covers younger adults who are deemed at higher risk of RSV-related lower respiratory tract disease.
This week marked the start of the third-quarter earnings season, with Johnson & Johnson exceeding Wall Street’s expectations. Pfizer is projected to have a strong quarter, while Eli Lilly could pull ahead of Novo Nordisk in the obesity space. Moderna, by contrast, has a decidedly negative outlook.
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