namely mRNA Is it that we will be able to send “commands” to cells in the body to produce any protein. That can be used in the treatment of different types of diseases meaning, instead of having to consume drugs produced from external factories. Our cells become factories within the body that produce drugs according to our needs.
I have been thinking about investing in the stocks of 2 companies competing to develop this technology: Modern a BioNTech (I repeat, this article is not a recommendation to invest in any company stock.)
I remember thinking it was a good idea to invest in late 2019. Moderna’s share price was around $20. Later, with the COVID-19 pandemic, its stock rose to a peak of $449 in July 2021 and was reduced to just $20. 127 the beginning of June.
An interesting question is What fundamental factors does the current stock price reflect?
No. 1 is that the company’s profits will likely continue to decline in the future when there is demand for COVID-19 vaccines. Therefore, the current P/E of 10 times means nothing. Number 2 is that this stock will be able to increase in the future if there is COVID-19. A new breed is emerging
However, over the past three years, it has been proven that mRNA technology “doesn’t work.” “What next?” The answer is that Moderna and BioNTech have decided to invest their profits to research ways to use them.mRNA technology to treat cancer
Moderna has partnered with pharmaceutical giant Merck to develop a vaccine to treat it.skin cancerThe deadliest is melanoma.
BioNTech is partnering with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Institute and the pharmaceutical company Roche to develop a vaccine to treat it.pancreatic cancer
There are many types of cancer and it is a very difficult disease to treat. Because cancer cells are originally normal cells that have mutated. that the body’s immune system will not “see” it as a “villain”, but still see it as “the same people”
So drugs used to treat cancer, such as Merck’s melanoma drug Keytruda, are used to stimulate the immune system to eradicate it.cancer cellsAfter the operation he successfully tried to remove the cancer from the body as much as possible.
On June 5, 2023, the results of a trial of Keytruda in combination with Moderna’s vaccine in 157 patients with cancer were published, and the risk of cancer returning was reduced by as much as 65% compared to a single dose of Keytruda
So what did Moderna’s vaccine do to make Keytruda more effective? the process is
1. Take the patient’s cancer cells.genetic sequence (genetic sequence) Cancer cells are different for each type of cancer and for each patient.
2. Must liveartificial intelligence (Artificial Intelligence) to predict how cancer cells will develop (How do cancer cells “look”?)
3. Assess which parts of the cancer cells that are distinctive and different from normal cells should be taken.imitate These are then produced in mRNA vaccines to be injected into the body and “teach” the immune system to recognize this “bad guy” and defeat him. If there are any left or come back again
Vaccination is not easy. That will take at least 8 weeks. Moderna does not say how much it will cost, but in the case of BioNTech, it uses the same technology. It was revealed that the cost per person is about $100,000 (3.45 million baht).
But in BioNTech’s case, it’s a treatment for pancreatic cancer. This is a cancer that is very difficult to treat and spreads very quickly.
Normally, if it’s melanoma, the mortality rate is around 10%, but in the case of pancreatic cancer the mortality rate is probably close to 90%.
However, in Moderna’s case, the US Food and Drug Administration has allowed it to go through an expedited approval process. It was designated a “breakthrough therapy” in February.
It is estimated that approximately 100,000 people in the United States will develop melanoma and approximately 8,000 people in the United States will die from the disease.
For pancreatic cancer Statistically, about 64,000 Americans get the disease a year and about 51,000 die from it every year.
There were only 16 patients, but the results were better than expected: 50% of patients (8 patients) had no cancer recurrence 18 months after surgery and vaccination. The cancer is usually found to return in around 80%.
I believe that the technology of these 2 companies will be a hope for cancer treatment in the future, but right now we have to take care of ourselves first. And the best way to look after yourself to reduce your risk of cancer is no smoking control weight, not fat exercise regularly and be careful not to get diabetes
especially thephysical educationThe research found that it reduces the risk of at least 13 types of cancer and reduces the risk by around 20%.
Economics + Health column
Supawut Saicheua Dr
Advisor to Phatara Research Institute
Kiatnakin Phatra Financial Group
