Formycon, NanoRepro, CureVac, PsyBio Therapeutics - Beat Corona with these stocks!

Formycon - Therapeutic strategy against the Covid-19 pandemic

The race against the pandemic is now entering the hot phase in Martinsried near Munich. Formycon AG has received approval for the early start of action for the Covid-19 drug (FYB207) from the responsible project management organization as part of a grant from the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy (StMWi). The requested funding is intended to support the further development of FYB207 until the completion of clinical phase IIa and has a volume of approximately EUR 11 million.

The early go-ahead now enables Formycon to implement the preclinical development activities as planned and manufacture the investigational product under GMP conditions before the final approval notice is issued. FYB207 is expected to enter Phase I/IIa clinical testing as early as the fourth quarter of 2021.

As part of the Bavarian therapy strategy to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, the Free State of Bavaria has created the conditions to promote development and innovation projects with the funding call "BayTherapie 2020" and the provision of a total of up to EUR 50 million. Formycon is one of the companies that can count on funding here.

The Formycon share price has reacted positively to the announcement and is currently consolidating at a reasonably high level. For it to continue here, the high at around EUR 79 must first be recaptured.

NanoRepro - New antigen tests to come

NanoRepro AG, based in Marburg an der Lahn, is a rapid diagnostics manufacturer primarily active in health planning and prevention. The listed Company is focusing on a fast-growing market, which is characterized by the increasing health awareness of the population and will continue to gain in importance in the coming years.

NanoRepro is now one of the innovation leaders in the field of self-diagnostics. For those who have already been vaccinated, they now have a new bright idea. In order to provide certainty, the rapid diagnostics company is working at full speed with a renowned German research institute to develop an antibody test that checks immunity after a Corona vaccination.

The antibody tests currently on the market detect IgM and IgG antibodies, which indicate that the patient has survived a Corona infection. But the conventional antibody test cannot usually provide any information about the success of the vaccination. The new antibody test, on the other hand, evaluates all current vaccines.

The NanoRepro share has had a rollercoaster ride. After reaching highs of over EUR 21, the price recently fell back to EUR 8.5, only to start rising again with the announcement. It will be exciting to see how this continues at this point.

CureVac - It will not be long now

The Tuebingen-based biotech Company CureVac has voiced criticism of the proposal that companies should temporarily lose patent protection on Corona vaccines. Research costs a lot of money, and the Company would naturally like to recoup some of the costs through sales revenues. Nevertheless, the German Company's commitment is very high, as CureVac supports all measures to facilitate global access to vaccines in the current coronavirus pandemic.

The biggest challenge in this process is the general pressure on supply chains, which results from the high demand for raw materials and devices in relatively large quantities. CureVac also emphasizes that no patents have been claimed by any producer in the context of the pandemic. We think this is good news for international cooperation in the fight against Covid-19.

Nevertheless, the CureVac share has been in a downward spiral since the patent discussion. From prices well above EUR 100, it went down to below EUR 75 at the low. Whether the rally can start again depends, of course, not only on the expected approval but also on the condition of the NASDAQ, and here it has been going strong for a week.

PsyBio Therapeutics Corp. - Cooperations expanded once again

PsyBio Therapeutics Corp. from Florida is approaching the issues of the day from a different therapeutic angle. For a long time, scientists have been talking about the healing effects of various fungal ingredients. PsyBio is an emerging biotechnology Company developing entirely novel formulations of psychoactive drugs produced by genetically engineered bacteria to treat mental and other disorders.

In collaboration with the University of Miami's Department of Psychology, the Canadians are researching related compounds to enhance or completely redefine the already confirmed effects of pure psilocybin in other combinations. The successful partnership with Miami University has now been taken to a new level, with several patents having been launched in the past. The neuropsychiatric drug discovery platform is to be expanded to accelerate the submission for approval of an investigational new drug, IND, to the FDA.

Some eye-catching personnel additions demonstrate the fact that the Canadians are already at the forefront of the mental health space in recent weeks. Among them are Bob Oliver, who has more than 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, and Dr. Michael Spigarelli, whose background now puts him in charge of technology as chief medical officer.

PsyBio shares (PSYB) are currently trading at about CAD 0.32, giving the Company a market capitalization of about CAD 18 million. Taking a look back at the 2018-2021 rally in the cannabis market, things may soon get down to business for mushroom compounds as well.