Biotech Values

[DewDiligence]

(PFE/MRK)—PCVX -18% on VAX-24 delay reported last night (#msg-162862041).

I listened to PCVX’s CC last night and it’s clear that PCVX has a lot of work to do on the manufacturing front. PCVX is relying on Lonza for manufacturing the 24 conjugates that will comprise the VAX_24 pneumococcal vaccine, and some of these conjugates have yet to be produced. Moreover, the PCVX-Lonza relationship seems to be on the fritz insofar as PCVC executives jabbed at Lonza by implying that Lonza had moved slowly on PCVX tasks in order to serve other (higher-paying) clients.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the VAX-24 timeline slips further. VAX-24 is the kind of product candidate that belongs with a large drug/biotech company, IMO.