Hacker News Reader

Comment by mandeepj | Hacker News Reader

Just watch - these Covid med pharma cos are going to cut each other by few points now - just to acclaim a top spot for themselves.

Edit - grammatical fix

View on HN

>"Just watch - these Covid med pharma cos are going to cut each other by few points now - just to acclaim their top spot"

It is funny to see the market reaction. MRNA spiked 15% this morning while BNTX (The Pfizer vaccine maker) tanked 13%. All over a few percentage difference in a sample size so small that it came down to the difference of one or two cases.

Maybe it's not about a few percentage points but about it being a legit alternative. A few days ago it looked like Pfizer is in position to milk the market and now there is competition.

> Moderna's vaccine appears to be easier to store as it remains stable at minus 20C for up to six months and can be kept in a standard fridge for up to a month.

Pfizer's vaccine needs ultra-cold storage at around minus 75C, but it can be kept in the fridge for five days.

I think this is a big difference. I don't know if many hospitals and clinics, especially ones in remote locations, can have cold storage the Pfizer vaccine requires

It was common knowledge that Moderna’s vaccine was releasing efficiency results this week, and that the technology used to provide protection was very similar to Pfizer’s.

Also the MRNA seems easier to distribute as it doesn't need such a low temperature as Pfizer

This may also be because the Pfizer shot needs to be stored at nearly a hundred degrees below zero, while the Moderna one needs to be stored at only a few degrees below zero. This makes Moderna's option much better for distribution.

The small difference in efficacy is less important than the difference in required transportation and storage temperatures: the Moderna vaccine can be kept in a fridge (2C) for a month, or a freezer (-20C) for 6. While the Pfizer vaccine requires ultra cold storage (-70C).

Reply on news.ycombinator.com