Vaxylove
$VXRT
It’s Finally Happening
It’s hard to overstate how important this is.
I was shocked when I read the following two paragraphs from our June RRPV Modification #7:
1. “Vaxart will perform Qualified/Fit-for-purpose MSD assays against S protein for SARS1, MERS, 229E, OC43, on D1, D31, D91, D181, and D366 for nasal samples (IgA and total IgA).
2. “Vaxart will perform Qualified/Fit-for-purpose MSD assays*, against S protein for SARS1, MERS, 229E, OC43 on D1, D31, D91, D181, and D366 for and saliva (IgA and total IgA).
So after all this time, the U.S. government is testing nasal and saliva samples from our 5K cohort for common cold coronaviruses 229E and OC43.
Many of us speculated about the common cold years ago. During that time, I posted this question: “Could the S+N provide immunity for Covid-19 and the common cold?
And here we are.
And the government is paying us for the research.
This could have massive implications, but it doesn’t surprise me, because Vaxart has already told us multiple times that not only did it look like our S+N was cross-reactive to the four viruses that cause common colds, but it appeared to be cross-reactive to all coronaviruses.
Here’s the receipts from Vaxart's blockbuster PR from May 3, 2021 on the S+N P1:
1. “Vaxart’s vaccine candidate triggered specific IgA antibodies in the mucosa. These mucosal IgA responses appeared to be cross-reactive against other coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV-1, MERS, and the endemic common cold viruses 229E, NL63, HKU1, and OC43.”
2. “Vaxart’s vaccine candidate showed higher CD8+ T-cell responses than the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.”
3. “Higher T-cell responses correlated to protection against COVID disease.”
4. “N protein responses to SARS-CoV-1 have been shown to last 17 years after infection and cross-react to SARS-CoV-2.”
During the last decade, Bezos and Gates have publicly mentioned room temp needle-free vaccines: Gates as early as 2015, Bezos in 2018.
They’ve also spoke about developing vaccines that could eliminate the common cold.
During that time, Amazon, the U.S. Army, and Stanford (among others) were each working on vaccines to address the common cold.
In 2020, the media reported on 1492, Amazon’s secret common cold vaccine project called Project Gesundheidt.
Meanwhile, Stanford’s Jan Carette was quoted as saying, “Our grandmas have been asking us if you’re so smart, why haven’t you come up with a cure for the common cold now? We have a new way to do that.”
Eric Lander, formerly of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (a Cabinet position): “You know how everybody says there's no cure for the common cold? Well, coronaviruses cause common colds. I'm just speculating here, but if there was a pan-coronavirus vaccine, it might be very effective against the common cold.”
There are 7 known human coronaviruses that infect humans:
The first four listed cause common colds:
• OC43
• 229E
• NL63
• HKU1
• SARS-CoV — causes SARS
• MERS-CoV — causes MERS
• SARS-CoV-2 — causes COVID-19
If our platform produces broad coronavirus immunity, the opportunity could encompass future emerging coronaviruses.
If we demonstrate cross-reactivity and protection against infection or disease, we’re looking at a major value inflection point.
Let’s look at the numbers for a vaccine producing durable mucosal immunity against SARS-CoV-2 + common cold coronaviruses + potential other coronaviruses:
There are 12.8 billion common colds annually.
The four common cold coronaviruses cause about 15–30% of common colds in adults.
• 15% prevented: 1.92 billion episodes
• 30% prevented: 3.84 billion episodes
Assuming a one-dose Covid + common cold tablet:
At $50 per dose:
• 15% scenario: $96 billion/year
• 30% scenario: $192 billion/year
At $100 per dose:
• 15% scenario: $192 billion/year
• 30% scenario: $384 billion/year
Our low-to-mid-teens royalties (10-15%) would generate billions annually.
Another potential massive revenue stream.
And that doesn’t include people under 18.
CDC confirms that children get colds more frequently than adults.
A rough estimate: 2.4 billion children × 5 colds/year = 12 billion episodes annually.
TAM for children:
Let’s go really conservative, taking into account all the kids in underdeveloped nations.
So maybe a $5 - $20 per dose global average, with a 25% uptake.
At $5 per dose: 2.4 billion children × .25 x $5 = $3 billion annually
At $20 per dose: 2.4 billion children × .25 x $20 = $12 billion annually
Our annual royalties would be $300M - $1.8B
Then add that to the adult royalties.
We’re talking billions in revenue.
Our cross-reactivity is the advantage of releasing the goods in the area that hosts 70% of our immune system.
Sean is brilliant. Or, he got really lucky.
Imagine the media reaction to a tablet that can simultaneously help prevent common colds, Covid, and possibly flu.
This is not too good to be true, folks. Vaxart has mentioned their cross-reactivity to all coronaviruses in calls, PR’s, and Fireside Chats.
Remember a few years ago when Sean said our Covid vaccine was cross-reactive to “everything out there?”
Of course, we don’t know to what degree cross-reactivity results in cross protection, but BARDA would not be throwing money at this unless they suspected that the cross-reactivity was there.
And now Sanofi controls an asset that appears to be cross-reactive to all coronaviruses. And they recently funded Altesa, whose vapendavir is in P2 as a treatment for rhinovirus infections, the leading cause of the common cold. We licensed it to them.
So Sanofi has the vaccine, and has their eyes on the therapeutic anti-viral. Are they looking to control the entire market for common colds? For all cororaviruses?
Our Dynavax agreement explicitly addresses combination products, and appears structurally capable of covering a Vaxart-platform COVID product formulated as a combination product. If so, Sanofi could create a Covid+flu tablet that also offers protection against common colds.
That’s three indications, but they only paid for one.
Now here’s something you can’t make up.
Check out the historical vaccine developers who’ve worked on the common cold at one time or another:
Pfizer
Medical Research Council - UK
Glaxo Group Research - UK
Wellcome Foundation - UK
National Research Development Corporation – UK
Five years ago, CBS ran a segment on 60 Minutes on the Army’s pan-coronavirus vaccine program, developing a vaccine aimed at the entire coronavirus family, including viruses responsible for many common colds.
Dr. Kayvon Modjarrad was the Army’s leader on the project, and a co-inventor of their pan-coronavirus vaccine candidate. Modjarrad told 60 Minutes that if the concept succeeded, a single vaccine could protect against all coronaviruses within five years.
And here we are, five years later.
And you’ll never guess who he’s working for:
Pfizer - Global Medical Lead, Seasonal and Pipeline Vaccines, Vaccines Research & Development.
That’s right, the guy who was in charge of the Army’s pan-coronavirus project is now with the company that has $15.2 billion in cash, and one of a handful of viable contenders who could acquire us.
And they have a PR problem with their mRNA vaccines.
Imagine if 2b demonstrates cross-reactivity and protection to common cold coronaviruses.
Would Pfizer and the guy who ran the Army's common cold project be interested?
2
85
