Moderna’s stock soared on Monday after the company dosed the first study participant in its potential HIV vaccine.
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So far, vaccination against HIV is not possible, as the virus mutates too quickly. But Art Nouveau (MRNA) uses a newer technology based on messenger RNA or mRNA.
“Designing a vaccination regimen that induces sustained protective levels of HIV-neutralizing antibodies in humans has been a difficult task,” Moderna president Stephen Hoge said in a written statement. “At Moderna, we believe that mRNA offers a new way to approach this problem.”
On the stock market today, Moderna’s shares rose 8.6% to 150.07.
Moderna Stock: Protein Creation Simulation
Messenger RNA is the body’s mechanism for making proteins. Moderna hijacks this process by telling the body to make a specific protein. In the case of the Covid vaccine, it tells the body to produce a spike protein. This helps the immune system set up defenses before it sees the real virus. Moderna’s stock has surged in 2020-21 on the promise of the technology.
In the case of an HIV study, Moderna will enroll 100 adults who do not have HIV. The company hopes its vaccine will help their immune systems produce antibodies that can block the virus. The vaccine uses technology developed by Dr. William Schiff, executive director of vaccine development at the IAVI Neutralizing Antibody Center. IAVI is a non-profit research group.
A division of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases sponsors and funds the trial. NIAID also partnered with Moderna in the early stages of testing a Covid vaccine in 2020.
HIV treatment exists
According to MarketSmith.com, the news brought Moderna’s stock within striking distance of its 50-day line.
HIV leads to the immune system condition known as AIDS. There are drugs to treat HIV from companies such as Gilead Sciences (GOLD). But patients must take them for life.
Moderna is testing its mRNA technology in two HIV vaccines. The second uses antigens from the virus. This research is sponsored by IAVI and supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
However, Moderna shares remain under pressure in 2022. Shares reached a recent peak in November and have since fallen.
Follow Allison Gatlin on Twitter at @IBD_AGatlin.
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