One firm Rodman & Renshaw's Piros said may change the whole spectrum of flu response is Philadelphia-based Hemispherx Biopharma Inc., whose Phase III chronic fatigue syndrome drug Ampligen now is being investigated in Japan as an adjuvant to flu vaccines.
The firm is expected to hear from the FDA by May 25 whether its product receives approval as a chronic fatigue syndrome treatment.
With the "boats loads" of safety data available, Ampligen could quickly be developed for H1N1 flu strain, Piros said. He noted that Hemispherx already has been in discussions with the CDC about its product.
If the Japanese data is deemed credible, and CDC experiments show protection against the H1N1 virus by using Ampligen as an adjuvant, "then you don't need another vaccine. You just mix in this adjuvant with whatever you make every season," Piros said.
While it is all speculation for now, "it could be the biggest surprise ever," he said.
Register for free to join our community of investors and share your ideas. You will also get access to streaming quotes, interactive charts, trades, portfolio, live options flow and more tools.