BioNTech, Defence Therapeutics, Valneva: Here, the overall market (almost) does not matter

BioNTech: Where is it headed?

BioNTech's stock is one of the winners of the pandemic. Just two years ago, mRNA technology was primarily a pipe dream for investors. But then the pandemic unleashed potential and allowed a vaccine to be developed on the fly. The result is clear: the vaccines are more effective than expected and can also be produced cheaply. For the technology as a whole, these empirical results are a positive signal. In the meantime, BioNTech wants to have its vaccine approved for children as young as 5 years old and later plans to have it approved for children as young as 3 years old.

Recently, there was a bit of bad news from competitor Novovax. Their vaccine had achieved a higher efficacy rate, but this should not be particularly important given BioNTech's already high market penetration. Moreover, studies conducted in different phases of the pandemic are only comparable to a limited extent. BioNTech's stock has also been anything but down in the face of the news. Today, the share is trading around 50% above the level of three months ago. Over a year, the return is a whopping 470%. BioNTech remains a good company, but the share is by no means cheap.

Defence Therapeutics: Accum™ technology with great potential

The Defence Therapeutics share was even slightly more successful than BioNTech over a three-month period, with a return of 41%. Defence Therapeutics focuses on targeting specific drugs and vaccines and has developed Accum™ technology to do so. Most recently, Health Europa magazine published a technical article on the technology and located its benefits. In addition to the Accum™ platform for a specific use, Defence Therapeutics also works on vaccines targeting cancer. Initial tests in mice have already shown promising prospects.

In addition to the work on Accum™ and vaccines, Defence Therapeutics also filed a provisional patent application in the US a few weeks ago around hydrogels. These products can store liquids and can be used in therapeutics but also hygiene products. Defence Therapeutics has now transferred findings around its work with Accum™ to the field of hydrogels and sees this as a potential new business area. With the share valued at only around EUR 180 million, while the Company continues to conquer new potential markets, the stock could be a good choice for growth-oriented investors.

Valneva: Hopeful stock experiences a damper

Many investors also saw a good choice in Valneva's stock. The French biotech company was recently hyped up on the stock market and almost tripled in value in the summer. At the time, the reason was that Valneva was working on a classic dead vaccine. The thinking was that this would convince many vaccination skeptics. Now, however, the British government has withdrawn an already closed order. The share of Valneva must now let feathers. Partly it went on Monday by more than 30% downward. However, the approval process is to continue.

If one evaluates biotech shares against the background of the growing nervousness on the market, then it seems clear that the sector has a life of its own. The unmistakable impression is that those who have the next blockbuster in their portfolio will profit even in times of a crash. However, this is why it is essential to focus on stocks still in their infancy with promising growth - Defence Therapeutics scores with several pillars and a still moderate valuation. The share is still a gamble, but the potential seems great.