Cardiol Therapeutics, BioNTech, Valneva - Volatility offers good opportunities!

CARDIOL THERAPEUTICS INC - The first stage has ignited

Cardiol Therapeutics is breaking new ground in the therapy of inflammatory heart disease. The Canadians are relying on cannabidiol (CBD) for therapeutic trials. A body of scientific evidence exists that cites the use of cannabidiol as beneficial as an anti-inflammatory agent.

The Company's lead product, CardiolRx, is a pharmaceutically manufactured oral cannabidiol formulation that is currently being evaluated in a Phase II/III outcomes study in hospitalized patients who tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. This potentially pivotal study is designed to assess the efficacy and safety of CardiolRx as a cardioprotective therapeutic to reduce mortality and major cardiovascular events in COVID-19 patients with pre-existing cardiovascular disease or risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Cardiol has received FDA approval for its investigational new drug application for an international Phase II study. It will evaluate the anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic properties of CardiolRx in patients with acute myocarditis, which remains the leading cause of sudden cardiac death in people under the age of 35. In addition, Cardiol is developing a subcutaneous formulation of CardiolRx and other anti-inflammatory therapies to treat chronic heart failure - a leading cause of death and hospitalization in North America.

The Company's shares have been listed on NASDAQ since August 10. Inclusion in the US index has led to a significant surge in the share price. Since the start of trading, the stock has doubled to around CAD 5.70. The Company is thus worth CAD 244 million. According to the analysts at GBC, the share still has significant room for improvement. The experts formulate a target price of CAD 17.49.

BIONTECH SE - EMA decision expected

The share has corrected by about a quarter since mid-August. Operationally, everything is in order; trend-setting decisions have been made in the USA, which are expected shortly in Europe. In terms of valuation, the stock is also in the green zone. In the future, the mRNA technology on which the Corona vaccine was developed could be extended to other areas of application, such as cancer. For the moment, however, the negative sector sentiment is outweighed by developments at France's Valneva.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved booster vaccinations with BioNTech/Pfizer's Corona vaccine for the elderly and high-risk groups. It applies to people 65 years of age and older and people between 50 and 64 years of age who belong to risk groups. The booster vaccines are to be administered at least six months after the first two vaccinations. Case-based testing will also allow people 18 and older who belong to at-risk groups to receive booster vaccinations.

A few days ago, the Germans applied to the European regulatory authority EMA to consider a so-called blanket booster vaccination. The idea is to provide a third vaccination for fully vaccinated people over the age of 16. The EMA plans to issue its recommendation in early October. If the EMA decision is favorable and booster vaccinations increase worldwide, the share price should soon rise again.

With a share price of around USD 320, BioNTech is currently valued at USD 80 billion. Analysts forecast earnings in the range of USD 11 billion each this year and next, making the stock moderately valued with a P/E ratio of 8.

VALNEVA SE - Where do we go from here?

In mid-September, Valneva shareholders received a massive shock. The British government canceled the supply contract in the volume of 100 million doses of the Corona vaccine, which is still in development. The British accuse the French of breaching the contract, which the latter vehemently deny. According to the Company, the vaccine is currently in Phase 3 trials. Further clinical trial data is expected to be published in Q4, and initial approval of the vaccine is possible by the end of 2021.

The news comes as a surprise also because the vaccine is well tolerated and has few, at least known, side effects, which generally underline the advantages of a classic inactivated vaccine over mRNA gene therapeutics. Now that the share price has corrected significantly and the valuation has melted down to EUR 1.3 billion, the negative information should have been processed in the share price.

After CureVac, Valneva now shocked the markets. Industry sentiment is depressed. Declining prices at BioNTech offer opportunities. Valneva's share price should have found its bottom. Cardiol has excellent potential with its innovative solutions, and the listing on NASDAQ has already had a positive impact.