Sure, most of the world might be focusing on the fact that Bitcoin climbed above the $11,000 mark today, despite Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) sending out a warning to investors that the digital currency is a bigger bubble than the dot-com era, but I think, even though this news is significant, the market needs to give some attention to the healthcare industry, which, thanks to Inovio Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:INO), made history this week.
What Happened?
Yesterday, Inovio Pharmaceuticals, which is based in Pennsylvania, announced that its synthetic flu vaccine produced “broad protective antibody responses” against all of the deadly strains of H1 influenza viruses. Translation? Because of Inovio Pharmaceuticals, there might now be a life-saving vaccine when it comes to strains of seasonal influenza virus.
To no surprise, shares of Inovio Pharmaceuticals started to soar today, just one day after the majority of the world learned of the news. Currently, Inovio Pharmaceuticals, which is a biotechnology company that focuses primarily on the development of active DNA vaccines and immunotherapies, is trading at $5.68, which puts the stock up $1.04, or 22.41%.
While I’m sure that most of the increase was caused by the initial announcement by Inovio about the synthetic flu vaccine, I also think it has to do with the fact that H.C. Wainwright & Co., which is one of the oldest financial institutions, came forward with their own opinion regarding the announcement, stating that “this flu vaccine is yet another validation of the company’s Antigen Specific Immune Responses technology platform,” adding that the vaccine “suggests the potential for a universal and broadly protective influenza vaccine for seasonal epidemics.”
What Does the Future Entail?
Aside from this week’s announcement, which I consider to be quite monumental, Inovio Pharmaceuticals has had a relatively successful month, from announcing on January 8 that it had received a milestone payment from MedImmune to disclosing the following day that it, alongside the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, established a clinical development collaboration.
Personally, I think it will be interesting to keep an eye on this company going forward in order to see if it can maintain its momentum and continue to announce positive advancements in its business.
Featured Image: twitter
