What happened
A successful cancer drug or vaccine is the holy grail of biotech companies. On news that its cancer-vaccine candidate had reached an important new stage of development, Germany-based CureVac(NASDAQ: CVAC) saw its share price pop by 12% on Tuesday. That compared very favorably to the nearly 0.5% decline of the S&P 500 index.
So what
CureVac announced that it dosed the first patient in a phase 1 clinical trial of its CVGBM cancer-vaccine candidate. Like several COVID-19 vaccines developed in the thick of the pandemic, CVGBM is based on mRNA technology.
The study will test the safety and tolerability of CVGBM in patients suffering from certain types of glioblastoma or astrocytoma. Both are cancers that originate in the brain or spinal cord and can spread rapidly.
The biotech said that the first readout from the study is expected in the second half of next year. It did not get more specific with its forecast.
In the press release trumpeting the development, CureVac quoted its Chief Development Officer Myriam Mendila as saying that
We will use the study data to evaluate the ability of our second-generation mRNA backbone to raise strong tumor-directed immune responses and provide a firm foundation to further advance our oncology pipeline based on our potent vaccine platform and an unparalleled framework for antigen discovery.
Now what
These are exciting times for both cancer treatment and mRNA-based solutions. CureVac is certainly a biotech to watch in regards to both trends, but as always, success isn't guaranteed with any clinical program. Investors should keep a sharp eye on how this one develops.
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Eric Volkman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
