INO, MRNA, NVAX, EBS Jump Overnight: Trump Promises Full Hantavirus Report As Deadly Outbreak Sparks Vaccine Rally

• Trump said that the administration will release a full report on a Hantavirus on Friday.
• The outbreak aboard the Dutch-flagged cruise ship Hondius has resulted in three deaths, six confirmed infections and additional suspected cases.
• Moderna drew attention due to its hantavirus vaccine partnership with Korea University.

Shares of vaccine makers and biodefense companies rallied overnight on Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump addressed a deadly hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship and promised a full update on the situation.

Overnight, Emergent BioSolutions (EBS) climbed 3%, while Inovio Pharmaceuticals (INO) and Novavax (NVAX) each gained 2% and Moderna (MRNA) rose 1%.

Trump Promises Full Hantavirus Report

Trump said late Thursday that the administration was closely studying the outbreak from the Dutch-flagged cruise ship Hondius, where three passengers have died and several others became infected. “It’s very much, we hope, under control,” Trump said, adding that a full report will be released on Friday.

The outbreak has triggered six confirmed infections and additional suspected cases aboard the vessel, which had 150 passengers onboard during an Atlantic voyage from Argentina toward Europe. Authorities are still investigating how the virus spread on board.

Singapore has already isolated two passengers from the ship due to concerns about possible exposure during the trip. The World Health Organization (WHO) also issued an alert on the outbreak, although officials said that the global risk remains low and that hantavirus is less transmissible than COVID-19 or influenza. The virus involved is said to be the Andes strain, one of the few hantavirus variants associated with limited human-to-human transmission.

Moderna Hantavirus Program Back In Focus

Moderna is viewed as one of the U.S. government’s key vaccine platforms for outbreaks. Since 2023, the company has worked with Korea University’s Vaccine Innovation Center on an mRNA-based hantavirus vaccine candidate, with preclinical studies earlier this year showing protection against hantavirus infection in mice.

In 2024, Moderna received a $176 million award backed by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) in 2024 for the development of mRNA-based pandemic influenza vaccines and outbreak preparedness programs. Moderna’s partnership with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) is also in focus, which previously said mRNA could help shorten vaccine-development timelines to as little as 100 days during outbreaks.

Inovio: Direct Hantavirus Play

Inovio, meanwhile, has the clearest hantavirus link among the stocks rallying overnight. The company previously participated in several hantavirus DNA vaccine studies targeting Hantaan, Puumala and Andes hantavirus strains. One National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases-backed study evaluated an Andes virus DNA vaccine to prevent hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, while another U.S. Army-supported study examined mixed hantavirus DNA vaccines.

While none of Inovio’s hantavirus vaccine programs produced a commercial product, the outbreak revived speculative interest in companies with prior hantavirus research.

NVAX, EBS In Outbreak Spotlight

Investors frequently rotate into Novavax during virus headlines due to the company’s vaccine-development platform and history of rapidly developing candidates for pathogens such as Ebola, MERS and Zika. The company’s protein-based nanoparticle platform and Matrix-M adjuvant tech can generate vaccine candidates against emerging infectious diseases, already used in marketed COVID-19 and malaria vaccines. 

Emergent BioSolutions, on the other hand, is often viewed as one of the U.S. government’s primary biodefense and medical-countermeasure contractors during public-health emergencies. The company has existing relationships with BARDA and makes products based on Anthrax, Ebola, smallpox, mpox and viral hemorrhagic fevers. Emergent previously received BARDA task orders for viral hemorrhagic fever therapeutics and has also participated in manufacturing efforts during outbreaks, including Ebola and Zika.

How Do Retail Traders Feel About INO, MRNA, NVAX, EBS?

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for INO and NVAX was ‘extremely bullish’ amid ‘extremely high’ message volume, while MRNA saw ‘bullish’ sentiment with ‘high’ message volume. EBS also recorded ‘extremely bullish’ sentiment, though message volume remained ‘normal.’ 

Over the past year, MRNA has surged 102%, followed by EBS up 93% and NVAX higher by 55%, while INO has declined 22%. 

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