Will Private Vaccine Companies Follow VaxInnate's Lead?
This article was originally published in Start Up
Executive Summary
It may be true that nothing succeeds like success, but it seems just as true that nothing sells as well as fear. In the case of the recent swine-flu scare, the most immediate valuation impact was felt by a number of publicly held biotechs focused on the flu vaccine space. Companies like Novavax Inc., BioCryst Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Vical Inc. all enjoyed rising fortunes during the brief "aporkalypse." Private companies too have seemingly taken advantage of the heightened awareness of seasonal flu dangers. VaxInnate Inc. raised $30 million in a Series D round in early May for various ongoing projects, including the start of preclinical study of a swine flu vaccine.