Moderna stock toppled Monday after the biotech company said its combination Covid and flu vaccine topped rivals from GSK and Sanofi, and its own Spikevax Covid shot.
In a study of about 8,000 people, Moderna's combination vaccine proved it's not inferior to the licensed comparators — Fluarix, Fluzone and Spikevax. The company also found its combo shot generated higher antibodies against three influenza strains and Covid.
The results build onto Moderna's growing respiratory diseases pipeline, coming just weeks after the Food and Drug Administration approved its RSV vaccine, mResvia. If approved, the Covid and flu vaccine would be the first combination vaccine based on messenger RNA technology to gain approval, Chief Financial Officer Jamey Mock told Investor's Business Daily.
On the stock market today, Moderna stock fell 1.6% to close at 148.59. Shares have yo-yoed this month despite a stream of promising news in cancer and rare diseases treatment, and the respiratory syncytial virus vaccine approval.
Generally, patients receive two shots at one time — a flu shot in one arm and a Covid vaccine in the other. Mock says the combination vaccine will save health care providers time and be more convenient for people getting vaccinated.
"It really reduces the burden on health care systems and pharmacies," Mock told IBD. "Now they can administer, essentially, two vaccines in one dose. And really for consumers as well in terms of a convenience perspective."
Moderna Stock: Updating Its Covid Vaccine
The combination vaccine includes elements of MRNA-1010, the seasonal flu shot, and its next-generation Covid shot, MRNA-1283. Mock said Moderna used a new antigen in its updated Covid vaccine to help focus on newer strains.
Adults age 65 and older received GSK's Fluzone and Spikevax, while adults age 50 to 64 received Sanofi's Fluarix and Spikevax. In both age groups, the combination vaccine generated statistically significantly higher immune responses against flu strains H1N1, H3N2 and B/Victoza and Covid.
Notably, the side effects were generally low-grade and consistent with the licensed comparison shots used in the study. Mock noted the pain and/or fatigue associated with a vaccine is usually an indication the immune system has been activated.
Moderna stock investors are closely watching the company's next steps. Mock says Moderna will go to the FDA to determine the path to approval. If approved, this would be the first combination vaccine using messenger RNA technology to hit the market.
Bevy Of Promising News
Moderna stock has seesawed on a bevy of recent news.
Recently, the company won a slightly delayed approval for its second-ever product, a vaccine to prevent respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV. In general, RSV causes coldlike symptoms in most people, but it can be serious in babies and older adults.
That vaccine, according to GlobalData analyst Anaelle Tannen, "paves the way for (messenger RNA) vaccines across multiple indications." Though, notably, Moderna stock fell almost 6% on May 31, the day it won that approval.
The company also presented promising three-year results for its Merck-partnered cancer vaccine in combination with Keytruda.
Further, the FDA accepted Moderna's methylmalonic acidemia treatment for the pilot program, Support of Clinical Trials Advancing Rare Disease Therapeutics, or START. The program helps advance treatment for rare diseases. Methylmalonic acidemia is a rare, inherited disease that stops the body from breaking down proteins and fats.
Mock says the platform is paying off. Moderna has said it expects a return to sales growth in 2025.
"The last seven to eight days have been quite exciting," Mock said. "We believe the platform is working and I think the news really reinforces that."
Notably, Moderna stock has a strong IBD Digital Relative Strength Rating of 96. This puts shares in the leading 4% of all stocks when it comes to 12-month performance.
Follow Allison Gatlin on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @IBD_AGatlin.
