(Reuters) - Vaxart Inc said on Friday it would test its experimental oral COVID-19 vaccine on monkeys infected with the new coronavirus in a study funded by the Trump administration’s vaccine-acceleration program called “Operation Warp Speed”. Shares of the U.S. vaccine developer surged 66% to $10.38 in noon trading, extending a dizzying run in its stock price this year as investors bet on drug developers pushing ahead with vaccines or treatments to stop the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 100...

(Reuters) - A new $1 billion fund backed by 20 drugmakers including Merck & Co Inc (MRK.N) and Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) is aiming to bolster struggling antibiotic companies and sustain a pipeline for new treatments, an industry group said on Thursday. Antibiotic makers have struggled with anemic investment and bankruptcies, even after the approval of new drugs, as fears of drug-resistant microbes force hospitals to adopt a more conservative approach toward such treatments. Public health authorities...

(Reuters) - Moderna Inc’s (MRNA.O) shares rose 17% on Wednesday after a small-scale study showed its experimental COVID-19 vaccine produced high levels of virus-killing antibodies, bolstering hopes the shot could prove effective in later stages of testing. Wall Street analysts said data from 45 healthy trial volunteers suggested the vaccine could protect against the virus infection, and generate blockbuster sales if it proves to work in larger trials. The early-stage trial data, however, is...

Sign up for our COVID-19 newsletter to stay up-to-date on the latest coronavirus news throughout New York City Johnson & Johnson said on Thursday it was in talks to begin late-stage studies of its experimental coronavirus vaccine in September. “We are in discussions with the National Institute of Health with the objective to start the Phase III clinical trial ahead of its original schedule, potentially in late September,” J&J Chief Scientific Officer Paul Stoffels said. The company is on...

Johnson & Johnson is in talks with the government of Japan and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation about locking up allocations of its potential COVID-19 vaccine as it prepares to kick off human trials, the company's Chief Financial Officer Joseph Wolk told Reuters in an interview. More than a hundred vaccines are under development to try and stop the COVID-19 pandemic, and drugmakers including J&J are working to ramp up supply for their vaccines in the face of unprecedented demand. J&J has...