Read on Twitter
Vaxart said its Phase 1 trial vaccine candidate -- a tablet that's stable at room temperature, not a shot -- sparked T-cell responses that were higher than those seen in Moderna's and Pfizer's vaccines. https://twitter.com/CNBC/status/1356959384534933507
Sean Tucker of #Vaxart: "Our vaccine induced a high percentage of responding CD8+ T cells against both Spike (S) and Nucleoprotein (N) proteins, which may provide protection against variants with alterations in the faster-changing S protein." https://investors.vaxart.com/news-releases/news-release-details/vaxart-announces-positive-preliminary-data-phase-1-clinical
More from $VXRT's news release on Phase 1, which seems promising: Immunoglobulin "IgA responses in serum and/or nasal swab samples in 100% of 2 dose subjects." #COVID19
"Cytotoxic T-cell response to the viral Spike (S) protein, necessary for long-lasting cross-reactive immunity, higher than we have seen in any previous Vaxart clinical trial." While antibodies fade in time, T-cells could provide a more long-term hope.
Other Vaxart Phase 1 data shows "an increase in proinflammatory Th1 cytokines, responsible for orchestrating the immune response to viral infection."
Research indicates T cells are needed for long-term protection from the coronavirus. https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/antibodies-t-cells-protect-against-sars-cov-2
Still, Wall Street focused this morning on antibodies over T-cells. The current CNBC headline: Vaxart shares plunge 60% on concern that lackluster antibody response will hinder effectiveness of oral Covid vaccine
Also, I'm still curious what spurred the company to issue a news release last year with the heading: “Vaxart’s COVID-19 Vaccine Selected for the U.S. Government’s Operation Warp Speed.” Was it a pump and dump or did the company get bad info from the feds? https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/15/business/vaxart-covid-coronavirus-vaccine.html
