VXRT Stock Price: Vaxart Inc gains as novel coronavirus vaccines begin to receive approval

NASDAQ:VXRT was little changed on Thursday despite the first official FDA approvals for the COVID-19 vaccine candidate from Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) and BioNTech (NASDAQ:BNTX). Vaxart added 0.67% during Thursday’s trading session as the stock closed the day at $7.46, which represents a gain of over 80% during the last month as investors begin to speculate on the next group of companies who could receive regulatory approval. 

The results of Vacart’s Phase 1 clinical studies for its treatment VXA-CoV2-1 should be ready by January and Phase 2 should follow closely after if the findings are positive. What sets Vaxart’s treatment candidate apart that investors are so excited about? It is an oral pill and not a shot, which of course makes storage and shipment around the world a logistical dream compared to vaccines that need to be stored in below-freezing containers. The oral pill could also have fewer side effects as the first round of COVID-19 vaccine shots have already returned some allergic reactions. Manufacturing of pills should be much simpler than the production of vaccine samples as well, meaning potential lower costs and wider availability to all corners of the world. 

Vaxart stock news

Needless to say, the stock has had a pretty good run since entering the race for a COVID-19 treatment earlier this year. Shares have returned over 2,300% and at a reasonable price level, investors could look to Vaxart as an appealing play in the next wave of COVID-19 treatment options. Investing in biotechs can be risky, but investors should keep a close eye on the clinical trial results as the low price of this stock could lead to some massive gains down the road.