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The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: MRNA, AZN, PFE and BNTX

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For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – October 5, 2020 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include Moderna, Inc. (MRNA - Free Report) , AstraZeneca (AZN - Free Report) , Pfizer (PFE - Free Report) and BioNTech (BNTX - Free Report) .

Here are highlights from Friday’s Analyst Blog:

Moderna Coronavirus Vaccine Not Expected Prior to the Election

Moderna, Inc. is unlikely to file a regulatory application seeking emergency use authorization (“EUA”) for its coronavirus vaccine candidate, mRNA-1273, before the U.S. presidential election scheduled on Nov 3, as reported in a Financial Times article.

An ongoing phase III study is evaluating mRNA-1273 in COVID-19 patients. The company has dosed 15,000 participants out of the total 30,000 enrollment target with mRNA-1273 in phase III study, as of Sep 25. The company will need additional two months for screening patients, which suggests that initial or preliminary data from the late-stage study will not be available before Nov 25. The U.S. presidential election is scheduled on Nov 3, much earlier than the expected availability of late-stage study data.

The company’s chief executive officer (“CEO”) stated that it will be not be able to file for EUA due to the FDA guideline, which states that at least half of study participants need to undergo two months of screening following their final injection before applying for EUA.

Moreover, Moderna has stated that it can file for an approval of mRNA-1273, which will allow it to serve the whole population of the United States, in January and anticipates an FDA approval by March, at the earliest.

Moderna’s statement has come as a disappointment for  Donald Trump who has been actively pitching for availability of a vaccine before the elections, However, there are other companies developing a vaccine for COVID-19 in late-stage studies, which include AstraZeneca and a collaboration of Pfizer and BioNTech. J&J has rapidly progressed with its single-dose coronavirus vaccine candidate and launched a pivotal, phase III study last month.

Among these late-stage vaccine developers, Pfizer hopes to have enough data on its vaccine candidate, BNT162b2, before October-end for taking a decision on regulatory application filing for EUA or regular approval. Pfizer’s vaccine candidate’s shorter time period between two shots compared to Moderna and study design has helped the company to maintain an accelerated timeline. Meanwhile, AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine study in the United States remains on hold though it has resumed the study in the United Kingdom. Moreover, J&J anticipates filing for EUA for its vaccine candidate in early 2021.

Availability of a coronavirus vaccine has become the hot topic as it will likely have a major impact on the upcoming presidential election. However, its timeline is still uncertain and is highly debated.

These Stocks Are Poised to Soar Past the Pandemic

The COVID-19 outbreak has shifted consumer behavior dramatically, and a handful of high-tech companies have stepped up to keep America running. Right now, investors in these companies have a shot at serious profits. For example, Zoom jumped 108.5% in less than 4 months while most other stocks were sinking.

Our research shows that 5 cutting-edge stocks could skyrocket from the exponential increase in demand for “stay at home” technologies. This could be one of the biggest buying opportunities of this decade, especially for those who get in early.

See the 5 high-tech stocks now>>

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