Pfizer appears to be likely to be the first drugmaker, along with its partner BioNTech , to win U.S. emergency use authorization (EUA) for a coronavirus vaccine. AstraZeneca, with plans to produce up to 3 billion doses next year, might distribute more doses of its COVID-19 vaccine globally than any other company.
Do these leading positions mean that Moderna is playing second fiddle in the coronavirus vaccine race? Not for investors. Here are three key advantages that Moderna holds over both Pfizer and AstraZeneca.
1. No sharing required
Many of us were taught in kindergarten that it’s good to share — and our kindergarten teachers were right. In the biopharmaceutical world, though, sharing profits can translate to slower growth. Both Pfizer and AstraZeneca will share the rewards gained from their COVID vaccines.
Pfizer, as mentioned earlier, teamed up with BioNTech on coronavirus vaccine candidate BNT162b2. The big drugmaker forked over $72 million in cash to its partner, and bought a $113 million stake in the German biotech. BioNTech is also eligible to receive milestone payments of up to $563 million. The two companies didn’t reveal how they’re splitting revenue and profits on any sales of BNT162b2, but Pfizer certainly won’t pocket all of the money the vaccine could make.
