What happened
Heat Biologics (HTBX -1.06%), a prerevenue biotech, is off to a strong start today. The company's shares spiked by as much as 46% in early-morning trading in response to a positive update for its experimental COVID-19 vaccine.
Specifically, Heat announced that its COVID-19 vaccine candidate exhibited compelling evidence of immunogenicity (the ability to provoke a body's immune response) in a preclinical (animal) study. Although the biotech's shares have cooled off a bit over the course of today's session, they are still up by a noteworthy 20% as of 10:56 a.m. EDT.
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So what
While Heat is well behind the leaders in the race to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, these positive preclinical data could open the door for a lucrative collaboration with a big-name pharma or perhaps a sizable government grant. The U.S. federal government has been extremely generous in terms of funding when it comes to developmental-stage coronavirus vaccines in general.
Now what
Is Heat's stock a worthwhile buy on this news? Under normal circumstances, preclinical data wouldn't exactly be a material event in the life of a biotech company. Preclinical data frequently don't pan out in human trials, after all.
However, the fact that Heat might now be in line for a large cash infusion from the U.S. government changes the situation entirely. Aggressive investors, in turn, might want to consider opening a small position in this emerging coronavirus play soon.
