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Stocks of Auris Medical Holding Inc (NASDAQ: EARS, EARS: US) soared over 370 per cent on Tuesday after its nasal spray displayed positive efficacy results for protection against airborne pathogens and allergens including coronavirus. Meanwhile, Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ, JNJ: US) submitted its COVID-19 vaccine candidate for approval from Health Canada, Health Minister Patty Hajdu shared on Twitter. The US-based multinational also commenced a rolling submission of vaccines with the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
Auris Medical Holding (NASDAQ: EARS, EARS: US)
Auris’ drug-free nasal AM-301 in vitro spray displayed ‘protective effects’ against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the coronavirus infection. Stocks of the Bermuda-based clinical-stage company was trading at US$ 1.153 at the beginning of Tuesday. After it announced its lab-test results, the stock closed at US$ 5.23 per share. The biotechnology stock has zoomed by over 222 per cent this year.
As per the statement released by the company, application of the nasal spray forms a thin protective gel layer on nasal mucosa that prevents the contact of viruses, pathogens and allergens with cells.
The experiment conducted over four days shows that the spray’s key component “trapped” up to 99% of the virus when brought in contact with a viral suspension.
The scrips gained 526 per cent in the last three months and nearly 435 per cent in the last six months. The stock’s five -day average trading volume is 61.9 million, while 10-day average trading volume is 30.85 million.
Auris Medical Holding’ YTD Price Chart (Source: EODHD/Others, Thomson Reuters)
Auris’ current market cap is US$ 37 million, with earnings per share (EPS) of US$ 0.18. The stock’s current price-to-equity (P/E) ratio is 5.9, price-to-book (P/B) ratio is 1.842, as per data on the TMX portal.
Auris Medical Holding total operating expenses was Swiss franc (CHF) 2.4 million as compared to CHF 4.1 million a year ago. Net loss was CHF 2.7 million for the first half of 2020, as opposed to CHF 3.7 million for the first half of 2019.
The Bermuda-based Auris Medical was founded in 2003. Its main operations are in Switzerland’s Basel.
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ, JNJ: US)
The US-based multinational company has two vaccine trials studies underway – a single-dose trial schedule, and two-dose trial schedule. With Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Oxford University-AstraZeneca zooming ahead with the vaccine results, investors expect Johnson & Johnson will release an update before the end of 2020.
Janssen Inc., the pharma subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, is the fourth COVID-19 vaccine producer to approach the Canadian authorities for regulatory approval.
The jab trial was stayed in October, after the company reported "unexplained illness" among a study participant. After investigation, the trial was restarted just weeks later.
JNJ stock is mostly trading flat this year and has advanced by 7.5 per cent in the last one month. Its current market cap is US$ 388 billion. The P/E ratio is 22.7, P/B ratio is 6.021, and price-to-cash flow ratio is 17.9, as per TMX data. The stock holds a return on equity of 27.69 per cent and return on assets is 10.41 per cent.
The company paid US$ 1.01 quarterly dividends and currently yields 2.812 per cent.
