Specialist
Former VP at GlaxoSmithKline
Agenda
- Key trends impacting the flu vaccine market, including COVID-19, entrance of mRNA vaccine technology and others, highlighting existing manufacturing hurdles
- Potential of mRNA technology for flu vaccines in light of developments from Sanofi's (PAR: SAN) Translate Bio acquisition and Pfizer's (NYSE: PFE) efforts
- Key market developments, including Novavax’s (NASDAQ: NVAX) NanoFlu
- Potential for bundling and/or combining flu vaccine with the COVID-19 vaccine – population sentiment considerations and potential commoditisation risks
- Outlook for Q4 2021 and beyond
Questions
1.
Could you start by breaking down efficacy across the various flu vaccines, building upon our previous Interview [see Influenza Vaccines – Next-generation mRNA Vaccines & Market Update – Part 1 – 7 October 2021]? My understanding is that it’s about 40-60% efficacy.
2.
What are the main hurdles to the manufacturing or delivery of the different technologies, such as cell based or egg-based?
3.
Pfizer says it is seeking improve on flu vaccine efficacy with its mRNA approach. What minimum level of efficacy would you want in order to justify the use of next-generation flu vaccines over traditional?
4.
Companies are now seeking to bundle or combine the flu vaccine with the COVID-19 vaccine. Novavax has a phase 3 underway for its NanoFlu vaccine, and some experts are speculating this could be bundled with its COVID-19 candidate to produce a seasonal flu plus COVID-19 vaccine. What’s your general take on this discussion, and how do you expect it to evolve?
5.
Do you have any further commentary around the testing that’s underway on COVID-19 and flu vaccine combinations? The first clinical trial has shown the combination is safe and appears to provide protection against COVID-19 and the flu. Moreover, we then received news yesterday that Sanofi says its flu vaccine can be co-administered with Moderna’s COVID-19 shot. What are your thoughts on those developments?
6.
Could combining the flu and COVID-19 vaccines help alleviate some of the hesitancy around the COVID-19 vaccine, or would you expect the opposite whereby more people are more hesitant around a two-in-one?
7.
What are your thoughts on Novavax’s NanoFlu vaccine in development? What is most or least impressive to you from the phase 3 results which were presented in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal?
8.
Is there anything we’ve yet to discuss about mRNA-based influenza or COVID-19 vaccines that you think is important for investors to understand?
