CureVac, Cardiol Therapeutics, MorphoSys - Here it is going powerfully upwards!

CUREVAC NV - The countdown is on

In mid-June, German biotech Company CureVac provided information on its first-generation Corona vaccine candidate, announcing that a preliminary evaluation showed the compound had an efficacy of around 47%. This announcement hit like a bomb. As a result, the share price fell by half. In the meantime, the shares have recovered somewhat to around EUR 54.

The sharp drop was due to the significantly lower efficacy of the vaccine compared to competitors' preparations. In addition, the vaccine has not yet been approved. Astra Zeneca, BioNTech/Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are currently dividing the cake among themselves. Those who are too late may only have a few crumbs left.

Now the CEO of the Tübingen-based vaccine developer CureVac, Franz-Werner Haas, has spoken out. Haas expects final results from the pivotal study phase very soon. "It won't take more than a week or ten days. We expect the results in the short term," Haas said Monday at a press conference. Like BioNTech and Moderna, CureVac relies on mRNA technology. However, the Tübingen-based Company is pursuing a slightly different approach. Haas remained convinced that the vaccine could be approved. Amsterdam's European Medicines Agency (EMA) initiated a rapid review process for the Tübingen-based Company's vaccine in February. The federal government also has a vested interest in the South German Company's success for two reasons. First, because the vaccine is firmly scheduled for a later vaccination campaign, and second, the federal government has invested EUR 300 million in CureVac through Aufbaubank KfW and holds a 16% stake.

CARDIOL THERAPEUTICS INC - When will the revaluation start?

Cardiol Therapeutics is breaking new ground in inflammatory heart disease therapy. The Canadians are relying on cannabidiol (CBD) for therapeutic trials. A body of scientific evidence exists that suggests the use of cannabidiol as an anti-inflammatory agent is beneficial. The Company has an exclusive manufacturing agreement for a pharmaceutical cannabidiol formulation that is highly concentrated and THC-free. In April, Cardiol enrolled the first patients in LANCER for a Phase II/III outcomes study in high-risk patients treated with Covid-19. The single and multiple ascending dose Phase I clinical trial showed successful topline results for CardiolRx in April. The Company filed for listing on NASDAQ in March 2021. Trading on the NASDAQ is expected to result in a significant valuation boost for the stock.

Characteristically, companies like Cardiol operate at a loss in the early stages. The potential of the existing product pipeline and the management team's expertise enabled the Company to raise more than CAD 50 million on the capital market in the last 12 months. That is a considerable house number. The analysts of GBC certify the Company in the case of success, enormous profits, and formulate a price target of CAD 15.77 - a potential fivefold! In addition, the analysts classify the Company as a takeover target in case of positive results of the Covid-19 phase II/III trials. Currently, the shares are trading around CAD 3, giving the Company a market capitalization of CAD 127 million.

MORPHOSYS AG - Now?!

In recent months, the MorphoSys share has only known reverse gear. While the shares were still quoted at EUR 120 last summer, only EUR 68 per share is called up. The Company is thus valued at EUR 2.2 billion. The acquisition of NASDAQ-listed Constellation Pharmaceuticals Inc. for USD 34 per share in cash, announced in June, failed to give the share price any positive impetus. Analysts see clear upside potential for the German stock, but that is not helping at the moment. Perhaps a cancer drug that the US pharmaceutical Company Incyte is marketing together with MorphoSys will soon revive the share price. Incyte has concrete hopes of obtaining approval for its blood cancer drug tafasitamab in Europe. As reported last Friday, the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) issued a positive recommendation for the drug. If marketing is then made possible in the next step, this should be reflected in rising share prices.