Since the first months of 2020 the world as a pharmacy. All the things we thought and assumed were certain and familiar were stopped, went into closure and led us to a different lifestyle than we knew. The corona virus has caused world governments to make weighty decisions in which they have sacrificed the economy and convenience of the citizens of the world in order to save lives. The compromise was a certain waiver of quality of life in favor of quantity of life. The collective decision was very complex; And it will be discussed for many years in the media, universities and loud living room conversations.
The race for the vaccine
Already in the early stages of the global epidemic, it was clear that vaccine development was needed. The countries of the world, and the pharmaceutical and pharma companies jumped out of place and began to vigorously develop a vaccine against the corona. Because of the devastating effects of the plague on the whole world, everyone had a scientific, moral (and also economic) mission to develop an effective, safe, quality and fast vaccine. They very quickly encountered a fundamental problem, of the long expected development time in the world of vaccines.
AC and BC
It is customary to divide modern history into two major periods AC and BC. The classical division was before and after the count, but it seems that the corona plague has such a significant impact on the lives of all of us, that it is worth renewing that these are the periods of: BC – Before Corona and after Corona (AC – After Corona).
Vaccines BC
For many years (before the corona crisis), the world developed and manufactured vaccines for infectious diseases (such as polio, measles, influenza, etc.) based on attenuated viruses. Modern science has found a way to create a harmless version of these viruses. Exposure of the body’s systems to the attenuated virus encourages the immune system to develop active antibodies. When a person is exposed to the real virus, the body systems are already ready and repel the attack. The problem is that developing a vaccine with this method takes a decade or more, and the actual production process takes several more months (at best).
“Necessity is the mother of all invention”
The statement is attributed to the ancient Greek philosopher Plato, who stated that technological and intellectual progress – often driven by a real crisis. The Corona 2020 epidemic has proven this conclusively!
The countries of the world (China and Russia) and at the same time the pharmaceutical and pharma companies (Pfizer, Moderna, Astra-Zenika and Johnson & Johnson) have begun to vigorously develop innovative vaccines based on technologies that have not yet been implemented on a large scale. Encouraged by governments, they began to develop vaccines that would provide a faster response to the plague, and help us all return to a blessed routine. Looking back, they were very successful. The vaccines developed against the corona are expected to add significant value in the ongoing fight against the corona and all infectious diseases.
A proven scientific process
While this is self-evident, it is necessary (and unfortunately necessary) to write a bit about the overall process of vaccine development in the West. Western pharmaceutical and pharma companies (unlike China and Russia) develop vaccines in proven and clear scientific protocols. Their working methods include constant examination, interrogation and examination of data, full transparency, peer reviews and strict regulatory supervision.
These scientific processes have led for many years to the development of safe and effective products, which provide a real solution to the advancement of the human race. It can be said that the chance of a significant and extreme error in the scientific process applied in the West is extremely low. There is a clear statement here for those who are still a little apprehensive: Go get vaccinated!
Johnson & Johnson
Last week, the US FDA approved the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Beyond the improvement in the structure of the vaccine, which is a single dose with less storage (cooling) requirements, the new vaccine is another breakthrough in medical technology that has far-reaching implications.
Viral Vector
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine was developed using a technology called Viral Vector. Without going into too much medical mechanics, one can simply say that instead of using a fully attenuated virus to produce an immune response (BC vaccines), one is content with isolating the genetic structure responsible for producing the outer shell proteins (the spike) of the virus. Those external proteins constitute an actual identification of the corona virus.
Scientists break down the genes responsible for producing the identifying protein structure, and they are put into attenuated and harmless versions of other viruses (easier to produce). When injected into a patient, the genetically engineered viruses enter the healthy cells and there they produce the identification proteins with the coronary artery. These proteins, in the body, develop an array of antibodies that successfully cope with actual exposure to the corona. This may sound a bit complicated, but the bottom line is that it allows for more flexibility in developing vaccines against viruses, and more quickly.
According to reports, this technology also forms the basis for vaccines from China, Russia (Sputnik V) and England (AstraZenica). As mentioned, Johnson & Johnson developed the corona vaccine using innovative viral vector technology, and is the first in this group to receive the strict approval of the US FDA. This is a very new field for this company, and it is doubtful if it would have achieved such good results, without the incentive of a global crisis.
messenger RNA
Johnson & Johnson is the third to receive FDA approval for Corona vaccines. It was preceded by Pfizer and Moderna. Pfizer and Modern have developed a vaccine by a different technology called messenger RNA or m-RNA for short (as opposed to Modern’s stock symbol). This technology also teaches the cells in the human body to develop a special (harmless) protein, with corona-like properties (in structure). The protein, which is produced in the human body, leads to a chain reaction in the immune system, which produces antibodies that know how to deal well with the corona virus. The big difference between the technologies lies in the fact that m-RNA does not need a mechanism of attenuated and harmless viruses, as a means of transmission.
Far-reaching meanings
Jealousy of writers cultivates wisdom; The race for the vaccine has led to medical breakthroughs that will give us significant added value for many, many more years. It is important to look at things beyond the local corona crisis and understand that we are ahead of an innovative medical era with a lot of potential. This is one of those huge scientific leaps of humanity. The two technologies, which have been renewed thanks to the global epidemic, will lead to a refinement and a real improvement in the development of vaccines and drugs.
The development of Johnson & Johnson in the field of viral vector shows that this technology has real feasibility even in a scientific, tested, transparent and closely monitored environment. She joins the human arsenal of weapons for a swift fight against deadly viruses. This is a very welcome result of the corona crisis.
Pharma industry
When performing in-depth analysis for the companies we have listed (Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson and Astra-Zenika), or for the pharma industry as a whole, it is worth taking into account that the said technological development has great significance. Value analysis tries to estimate the economic value stored in these developments, which will still yield medical dividends in many and varied areas. This is a very interesting time in the field of vaccine and drug development, and the keen eye can find many opportunities to profit from it as a long-term strategic investment.
Hillel Bash ([email protected]) – Financial risk manager at Smart Options Ltd., a lecturer at the Lev Academic Center and Bar Ilan University.
The above should not be construed as a recommendation for the performance of operations and / or investment advice and / or investment marketing and / or advice of any kind. The information presented is for information only and is not a substitute for advice that takes into account the data and the special needs of each person. Anyone who uses the above information – does so at his own discretion and sole responsibility. The company and / or the authors hold and / or may hold some of the papers mentioned above.