Shares of Novavax Inc. dropped 19% after briefing documents released ahead of the U.S. FDA’s June 7 advisory committee raised concerns about risks of myocarditis associated with COVID-19 vaccine NVX-CoV2373, though reviewers also noted the vaccine could offer protection against the omicron variant. The stock (NASDAQ:NVAX) closed June 3 at $44.76, down $11.21.
Although the death toll in the U.S. is nearing 1 million lives lost, signs continue to suggest that an end is in sight for the COVID-19 pandemic, the most disruptive global health crisis in a century.
The U.S. Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission have separately indicted Marc Schessel and his company, Scworx Corp., for making false statements about the company’s ability to provide rapid tests for the COVID-19 pandemic. The indictments include allegations that Schessel and his company had been advised that the tests they had intended to procure were no longer available for distribution in the U.S., but that the Schessel did not advise shareholders of this fact for another 11 days.
Biopharma happenings, including deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: Achieve, Alpine, Aruna, Asher, Astellas, Cocrystal, Coda, GSK, ICER, Merck, Neuexcell, Orphazyme, Scineuro, Theolytics and Virios.
About 56% of the clinical data recorded by BioWorld in 2022 target therapies for oncology, as well as infectious and neurological diseases, but news on COVID-19 efforts continue to dwindle compared with last year.