Background

With all that is going on around us, it is quite difficult to be able to discern who is doing what, what they are doing, how we can contribute, and benefit.

For instance, as we close out November 2020, a few pharmaceutic companies have released data on the vaccines for Covid-19.

Communication

The technical details for the medications are beyond most people’s understanding.

But, here as in all things, there are journalists and technical writers who are able to hear and thoughtfully communicate proven technologies as well as salient risks.

 

Disclaimer

I am not a doctor nor a missionary.

Medical Advice

1. Speak to your primary physician, prior to taking any medication or vaccine.

Pastor / Clergy

1. I am not a pastor nor clergy
2. As in all things seek spiritual covering, prayers, and dialogue before signing up

 

Companies

Listed below are some of the companies working on the vaccines:-

Moderna

Vaccines

1. mRNA-1273

Technology

1. Messenger RNA (mRNA) technology
   • Can be used in vaccines and therapies targeting a myriad of diseases.
   • The company has a dozen mRNA programs in its pipeline now.

Executives

1. CEO Stephane Bancel

Agreements in Hand ( 2020-11-29 )

As of 2020 November 29th, more than 330 million doses already spoken for.

Countries

1. United States of America
   • It was announced on August 11 that the U.S. government secured 100 million doses of mRNA-1273 for a sum of $1.525 billion.
   • Under the agreement, the U.S. would also have the option to obtain up to an additional 400 million doses.
2. Canada
   • According to Moderna, it remains on track to be able to deliver up to 56 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine into the country beginning in 2021.
   • In September 2020, the Canadian government confirmed an order commitment of 20 million doses.
3. United Kingdom
   • The U.K. government said it was able to secure access to five million doses of Moderna’s mRNA-1273 candidate, which will be enough for about 2.5 million people.
   • Pending safety checks, it could be delivered by Spring 2020.
4. European Union
   • The European Commission said in August 2020 that it would be supplied with 80 million doses of the mRNA-1273 vaccine candidate from Moderna, with an option to acquire up to a further 80 million doses if proven safe and effective.
     • Links
       • EU:- Coronavirus: Commission approves contract with Moderna to ensure access to a potential vaccine
         Link  ( https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_20_2200 )
5. Switzerland
   • Moderna confirmed in September 2020 that the Swiss Federal Government had agreed to the procurement of 4.5 million vaccine doses of mRNA-1273.
6. Japan
   • Last month, on October 29, 2020, the pharmaceutical giant said the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan agreed to buy and distribute 50 million doses.
     • Links
       • Wall Street Journal ( WSJ ) – Moderna Signs Covid-19 Vaccine Supply Contract With Japan
         Link
7. Israel
   • Reuters reported in June 2020 the Israeli government had confirmed a supply agreement for a future purchase of the candidate.
   • Financial details were unknown.
8. Qatar
   • On October 26, 2020 the company said a supply agreement was also made with Qatar.

 

 

Pfizer and BioNTech

Vaccines

1. BNT162b2

Purchase Agreements

Agreements – 2020-11-18 – Newsweek

Countries

1. United States of America
   • An agreement revealed in July said the U.S. government was set to receive a total of 100 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine candidate with an option of acquiring up to an additional 500 million doses.
   • Under the terms, the U.S. would pay the companies a total of $1.95 billion upon the receipt of the first 100 million doses.
   • Pfizer/BioNTech said Monday that it was working with the government’s Operation Warp Speed (OWS) to conduct an immunization pilot program in Rhode Island, Texas, New Mexico, and Tennessee that will help refine delivery and deployment plans.
2. United Kingdom
   • In July 2020, Pfizer/BioNTech said an agreement was reached with the U.K. to supply 30 million doses of the BNT162 mRNA-based candidate.
   • That appears to have since increased to 40 million doses, according to a U.K. government release.
3. Japan
   • On July 31, 2020, the companies said 120 million doses of the BNT162 mRNA-based vaccine candidate would be supplied to Japan beginning in 2021.
   • As with most deals, the agreement was subject to its clinical success and regulatory approvals.
4. Canada
   • Pfizer/BioNTech said in August 2020 an agreement with the government of Canada had been reached but did not disclose financial or dosage information.
5. European Union
   • On November 11th, 2020, the European Commission said it had approved a contract with BioNTech and Pfizer settled on an initial purchase of 200 million doses on behalf of all the E.U. States, with an option to request up to 100 million more.
6. Australia
   • Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced in a press release on November 5 that Australia would be supplied with 10 million vaccine doses from Pfizer/BioNTech.

Production Targets

On Wednesday, November 18th, 2020, the firms reiterated they expect to make up to 50 million doses in 2020 and up to 1.3 billion doses by the end of 2021.

 

AstraZeneca & The University of Oxford

Corporate

AstraZeneca (LSE/STO/NYSE: AZN) is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialization of prescription medicines, primarily for the treatment of diseases in three therapy areas – Oncology, Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism, and Respiratory & Immunology. Based in Cambridge, UK, AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. Please visit astrazeneca.com and follow the Company on Twitter @AstraZeneca.

Stocks Symbol

1. AZN ( Nasdaq )

Vaccines

1. AZD1222

Executives

1. Pascal Soriot, Chief Executive Officer

Technology

Link

1. ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, now known as AZD1222, was developed by Oxford University’s Jenner Institute, working with the Oxford Vaccine Group.
2. It uses a replication-deficient chimpanzee viral vector based on a weakened version of a common cold (adenovirus) virus that causes infections in chimpanzees and contains the genetic material of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.
3. After vaccination, the surface spike protein is produced, priming the immune system to attack COVID-19 if it later infects the body.
4.  The recombinant adenovirus vector (ChAdOx1) was chosen to generate a strong immune response from a single dose and it is not replicating, so cannot cause an ongoing infection in the vaccinated individual.
5. Vaccines made from the ChAdOx1 virus have been given to more than 320 people to date and have been shown to be well tolerated, although they can cause temporary side effects such as a temperature, influenza-like symptoms, headache or a sore arm.

Purchase Agreements

Agreements – Newsweek – 2020-11-29

1. The U.K. now appears to be betting big on that candidate specifically, with an agreement reached for the supply of 100 million doses.

Agreements – AstraZeneca – 2020-06-13

1. Europe’s Inclusive Vaccines Alliance (IVA) – Spearheaded by Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands
   • AstraZeneca has reached an agreement with Europe’s Inclusive Vaccines Alliance (IVA), spearheaded by Germany, France, Italy, and the Netherlands, to supply up to 400 million doses of the University of Oxford’s COVID-19 vaccine, with deliveries starting by the end of 2020.
2. UK, US, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and Gavi the Vaccine Alliance
   • The Company has recently completed similar agreements with the UK, US, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and Gavi the Vaccine Alliance for 700 million doses
3. Serum Institute of India
   • It agreed to license with the Serum Institute of India for the supply of one billion doses, principally for low- and middle-income countries.

Agreements – ABC News – 2020-11-27

1. Thailand
   • BANGKOK — Thailand on 2020-11-27th signed a $200 million deal to procure 26 million doses of a trial coronavirus vaccine developed by pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca in collaboration with Oxford University.
   • It is expected to be delivered in mid-2021.
   • The doses would cover 13 million people in a population of about 69 million.
   • “We have followed the vaccine manufacturers globally, but this group has achieved very high progress,” Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said at the signing. “They are likely to be able to produce the vaccine early next year. Most importantly, we have to get ourselves ready for the domestic process including packaging and logistics.”
2. Philipines
   • In the Philippines, more than 30 companies on Friday signed an agreement to purchase at least 2.6 million vaccine doses from AstraZeneca in the country’s first such deal to secure coronavirus vaccines.
   • They plan to donate a large part of the doses to the government for its planned vaccination program and use the rest to inoculate their employees, business officials said.
   • Business leader Jose Concepcion III said the vaccine is expected to be delivered in the second quarter of next year and would cover about 1 million people, but did not disclose other details.
   • The purchase would be crucial in restoring business confidence that has been shattered by months of the pandemic and lockdowns, he said.
   • “We want an end to this nightmare and this is the best alternative we have,” Concepcion told an online news conference after the signing, describing it as an opportunity to open up the economy again.

Production Agreements

Agreements – Bloomberg – 2020-08-13

Link

1. Mexico and Argentina have reached agreements to produce the U.K. drugmaker AstraZeneca Plc’s promising Covid-19 vaccine for Latin America, the nations’ governments said.
2. The countries will make 150 million to 250 million initial doses of the potential Covid-19 vaccine designed by scientists at the University of Oxford after the required trials, Argentine President Alberto Fernandez and Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said in messages on Twitter on Wednesday night. Billionaire Carlos Slim’s foundation is helping finance the plan, Ebrard said.

Total Manufacturing Capacity

Total Manufacturing Capacity – AstraZeneca – 2020-06-13

Total manufacturing capacity currently stands at two billion doses.

 

Novavax

Vaccines

1. Covid-19
   • NVX-CoV2373
2. Influenza
   • NanoFlu

Agreement in Hand – 2020-11-29

1. More than 176 million doses
   • Countries
     • Australia
     • Canada
     • UK

Market Cap

1. 2020-11-29 :- $6 Billion

 

Vaxart

Stocks Symbol

1. VXRT ( Nasdaq )

Vaccines

1. CoV2-1

Stocks Performance

1. 2020
   • 2020-11-29, Nearly 1900% so far this year

Stages

Stage – 2020-11-29

1. The biotech is currently evaluating VXA-CoV2-1 in Phase 1 clinical study.
2. Vaxart completed enrollment in the study earlier this month and could report initial results within the next few weeks.
3. Could Vaxart be too late to the party to achieve success for VXA-CoV2-1? Not necessarily. There’s something unique about VXA-CoV2-1 that could be a game-changer: It’s a single-dose tablet.
4. All of the leading coronavirus vaccine candidates are injections, with most of them requiring two doses spaced several weeks apart.
5. If VXA-CoV2-1 proves to be safe and effective, Vaxart could have great opportunities with oral vaccines targeting other viral diseases.
6. With its market cap below $750 million, investors could still potentially make a fortune with the stock if all goes well in Vaxart’s clinical studies.

Sinovac

Corporate

Sinovac Biotech Ltd. is a biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the research, development, manufacture, and commercialization of vaccines that protect against human infectious diseases.

The company is based in Beijing, China.

Stocks Symbol

1. SVA ( Nasdaq )

Vaccines

1. CoronaVac

Technology

Link

1. CoronaVac is a chemically-inactivated whole virus vaccine for COVID-19.
2. After mid-2020, CoronaVac was in Phase III clinical trials in Brazil, Chile, Indonesia, Philippines, and Turkey.

Purchase Agreements

Agreements – ABC News – 2020-11-29

Link

1. Turkey
   • Meanwhile, the country has reached an agreement to receive 50 million doses of the vaccine developed by Chinese pharmaceutical company SinoVac and hopes to begin administering it to medical staff and the chronically ill next month.

 

Other Companies

Additional vaccine candidates are currently being tested globally by Novavax, CureVac, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Sinovac, Valneva, and GSK/Sanofi Pasteur.

Technology

messenger RNA (mRNA) gene vaccines

The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are both parts of a new class of messenger RNA (mRNA) gene vaccines that have yet to be approved for use in people.

They carry genes instructing human cells to make viral proteins, triggering the body’s immune response.

 

In Words

Moderna

CEO Stéphane Bancel – 2020-11-30 – Yahoo News

Link

CEO Stéphane Bancel told Yahoo Finance when he got the news Sunday, “I was almost tap dancing in the house yesterday when I heard.”

The data showed that among the 196 cases reported, 185 were in the placebo group, in which one person died from COVID-19.

The distribution of cases reflected the real world, with the elderly and minorities disproportionately affected.

The efficacy against severe disease, which has resulted in all of the ICU and deaths in the country, is particularly of interest as it helps avoid the progression from symptom onset to critical care.

“If you can stop that whole cascade, that is, I believe, a game-changer,” Bancel said.

 

Questions?

Outline

1. Protection
   • The durability of the vaccine’s protection
2. Safety
3. Requirements
   • Approval Requirements
   • Large Scale Production Requirements
   • Delivery Requirements
     • RNA Medications
       • Warm temperatures cause the RNA and lipid particles to degrade, the vaccines must be kept frozen until days before use, requiring a “cold chain” to move them from manufacturing plants to pharmacies and clinics.
         ( Link )

 

Basis & Premise

I am not an investor in pharmaceutical drugs.

Yet, there are a few things I know.

1. Impact
   • Covid-19 has impacted society, financial markets by an outstanding ratio
2. Election
   • There may be a post Election 2020 change or variation on the socialization of the impact, risks, and efficacy of vaccination and medication
   • As they say, “Elections have consequences“
3. Prophetic
   • Broadly Speaking, each of us is prophetic
   • We all hear from God
   • Responsibility
     • What you hear from God, speak it as you hear it.
     • What you have yet to hear, remain silent
     • Do not add to it. Do not take from it
       • Deuteronomy 4:2,Deuteronomy 12:32,Revelation 22:18
     • When in doubt of the message or that you are his messenger on that particular point or topic, please have someone say it
     • If you feel you should pass the message along, please do so worthy of the entruster
4. Silent
   • Unfortunately, when and where the good stay silent, mistrust makes rancor
     • If you do nothing in a difficult time, your strength is limited
       Proverbs 24:10 ( Link )

 

Dedicated

In dedication to family and friends.

Especially, Wale & Azzez.

 

Summary

Again, a very important disclaimer that I am not asking you to take a vaccine nor accept treatment.

But, in valuing each other, and a Holy God places it upon us to share what we hear, read, and know with fellow sojourners.

On that important basis, I measure the distance between knowledge and sharing.

Especially, when I am not been unduly contrarian.

 

References

Corporate

1. AstraZeneca
   • AstraZeneca to supply Europe with up to 400 million doses of Oxford University’s vaccine at no profit
     ( 2020-June-13th )
     Link

Commissions & Bodies

1. EU
   • Coronavirus: the Commission signs first contract with AstraZeneca (2020-August-27th )
     Link
2. United States
   • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Defense
     • Trump Administration Expands Collaboration with AstraZeneca to Develop and Manufacture an Investigational Monoclonal Antibody to Prevent COVID-19
       Link

Press

1. Science Mag
   • ‘Just beautiful’: Another COVID-19 vaccine, from newcomer Moderna, succeeds in a large-scale trial ( 2020-November-16th )
     Link
2. Newsweek
   • Which Countries Have Already Secured COVID Vaccines by Pfizer and Moderna? ( 2020-November-18th )
     Link
3. The Motley Fool
   • 3 COVID Vaccine Stocks That Could Be Millionaire-Makers ( 2020-November-29th )
     Link
   • 330 Million Reasons to Buy Moderna Stock Right Now ( 2020-November-25th )
     Link
4. Bloomberg
   • Mexico and Argentina Plan to Make AstraZeneca Oxford Vaccine
     Link
5. ABC
   • ABC News
     • Thailand, Philippines sign for AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine ( 2020-November-27th )
       Link