Amyris  (AMRS) – Get Report shares soared Friday after the biotech company announced promising in vivo results for a study of its licensed RNA vaccine for COVID through intranasal delivery.

The vaccine is being developed in collaboration with the Infectious Disease Research Institute, Amyris said.

Amyris recently traded at $13.67, up 13%.

“Current mRNA vaccine technologies are providing limited immunity protection for the upper respiratory system,” Amyris said. “As a result, vaccinated people may experience viral replication....More>>>

Shares of Intercept Pharmaceuticals  (ICPT) – Get Report slipped Friday after Goldman Sachs downgraded the biotech firm to sell from neutral and lowered its price target to $10 from $17.

Shares of the New York company at last check fell 6.8% to $12.90.

Goldman analyst Salveen Richter, in a note published Friday, cited “ongoing uncertainty and lack of near-term, value-driving catalysts” as the reasons behind the downgrade, according to a Bloomberg report.

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What happened

Shares of Novavax (NASDAQ:NVAX) jumped on Tuesday on news of a major supply deal with the Japanese government. By the close of trading, the biotechnology company’s stock price was up 7.6%. 

So what

Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare will buy 150 million doses of Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate, subject to regulatory approval. The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Novavax struck a sizable coronavirus vaccine supply deal with Japanese health officials. Image source: Getty Images.

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What happened

Having dropped from the lofty heights it reached only a few short months ago, Alector (NASDAQ:ALEC) stock was having another bad day on Wednesday. The biotech’s shares were down nearly 17% in mid-afternoon trading following some news from the C-suite.

So what

After market hours on Tuesday, Alector announced the departure of two high-level executives. It said that chief operating officer Shehnaaz Suliman and chief medical officer Robert Paul will step down following a “transition period,” and should continue to serve as advisors to the company....More>>>

What happened 

Shares of Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) jumped 7.8% on Thursday after the drugmaker announced several notable advances during its annual research and development update. 

So what

Moderna is developing a single-dose vaccine, known as mRNA-1073, that includes boosters against both COVID-19 and seasonal flu. The biotech is also evaluating four development candidates against coronavirus variants, including Delta, with three already in clinical trials.

Moderna’s stock price rose sharply following its R&D update on Thursday. Image source: Getty Images.

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