Why Sanofi May Be a Frontrunner in Endemic COVID-19
Global biopharmaceutical company Sanofi (NASDAQ: SNY) encountered setbacks while developing its COVID-19 vaccine, and only this year reported results from late-stage clinical trials. The company missed out on the lucrative early rounds of vaccination, but now may have an edge as the world enters an endemic COVID-19 reality.
Sanofi opted for the more traditional protein-based technology for its COVID-19 vaccine, Vidprevtyn, rather than the mRNA technology of Pfizer-BioNTech's Comirnaty and Moderna's Spikevax. Both versions use a spike protein with an exact genetic match to those found on the surface of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, but the difference lies in where that protein is produced. The mRNA technology delivers genetic code instructing the body's cells to make the protein, while the more traditional approach produces the protein in a lab before injecting it into the body.
Vidprevtyn uses Sanofi's protein to teach the body to detect the invading virus, combined with GlaxoSmithKline's adjuvant technology to enhance immunity. The companies believe that this combination defends against the virus as effectively as an mRNA vaccine. Sanofi is seeking regulatory approval, based on the late February phase 3 clinical trial outcome showing that a series of two doses provided complete protection against severe disease and hospitalizations.
Source Fool.com
