The Vaccine Development Market Distinguishes Itself

In the past year, The Vaccine Development market caught fire. This was the case as many companies rushed to produce the solution to end the global pandemic. Interestingly, before the outbreak of coronavirus, the vaccine market was viewed as a low-return environment. The best minds in the field focused their attention on more extensive and more lucrative markets.

The Vaccine Development generates pale returns compared to the profits that can accrue for more advanced treatments. Big Pharma players Glaxo SmithKline (GSK) and Pfizer (PFE) are the most dominant entities. Their colossal R&D budgets allow for lower return projects as their cost of capital is also low.

Vir Biotechnology has positioned itself to defeat infectious diseases in the world. It focuses on producing the most cost-effective delivery method. The lead product of the team is the VIR-7831, which is a treatment for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It binds to an epitope that the virus shares with the SARS-CoV-1 virus. It is to be noted that the CoV-1 variant caused the 2002 SARS outbreak.

As part of a collaboration with GSK, VIR-7831 came as a product designed to prevent infection in an outpatient setting and treating hospitalized patients. The product is currently in Phase-3 testing. The company had hit a roadblock when the Independent Data Monitoring Committee (IDMC) recommended a halt.

The potential benefit of the treatment is under doubt. Hence a halt is being faced. IDMC also stated that a safety signal could not be seen in the data so far, and they will continue gathering data on the current patient population.