The latest virus captivating headlines in the stock market today is monkeypox. This has sent speculators searching for stocks with exposure to potential treatments. According to the CDC:
“Because monkeypox virus is closely related to the virus that causes smallpox, the smallpox vaccine can protect people from getting monkeypox. Past data from Africa suggests that the smallpox vaccine is at least 85% effective in preventing monkeypox.”
There’s been a surge of momentum in biotech penny stocks working on smallpox treatment candidates. Meanwhile, broader markets continued trading lower as fear gripped investors. An already fragile stock market was poked further in its downward trend after news triggered memories of the 2020 pandemic. Though there are no immediate comparisons between the two, the market has reacted similarly. The World Health Organization is also converging an emergency meeting. Thanks to this volatility, new pockets of bullish trends are popping up, and many involve monkeypox speculation.
This article looks at a handful of penny stocks to watch amid news of the monkeypox outbreak.
Monkeypox Stocks To Watch
- Aethlon Medical Inc. (NASDAQ: AEMD)
- GeoVax Labs Inc. (NASDAQ: GOVX)
- Tonix Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: TNXP)
Penny Stocks To Buy
Much like any healthcare-focused catalyst, speculative trading action can spark incredible amounts of volatility. This could become even more escalated as groups like the WHO begin meeting and formulating action plans. Please keep this in mind if you are looking at smallpox and monkeypox stocks. Since the data is just starting to get released, there is still much unknown. Whether this is or isn’t the “next pandemic” is yet to be seen. But since this is one of the things creating fear in the stock market today, it should be kept in mind.
1. Aethlon Medical Inc. (NASDAQ: AEMD)
Shares of Aethlon Medical took off on Friday thanks to monkeypox speculation. The company’s pipeline of treatments targets different organ-threatening diseases. Its Hemopurifier has been studied as an active platform to fight future COVID-19 variants that can impact the efficacy of certain vaccines.
Hemopurifier was given Breakthrough Device status in treating patients with metastatic cancer. Coincidently, the Investigational Device Exemption given in 2019 for cancer was also updated to include a clinical study of patients with viral infections, including COVID.
It’s been the viral infection angle that traders have speculated on in the stock market today. Next week Aethlon presents at the H.C. Wainwright Global Investment Conference. Some hope to get color on whether or not there is a monkeypox play in sight for AEMD stock. Time will tell, but speculation has already sparked early momentum on Friday.
2. GeoVax Labs Inc. (NASDAQ: GOVX)
Another one of the monkeypox stocks to watch is GeoVax Labs. The company develops vaccines and immunotherapies and earlier this year was issued Patent Number 11,311,612. The title of that patent was: Compositions and Methods for Generating an Immune Response to Treat or
Prevent Malaria. This helped bring some attention to the company, but this week’s monkeypox scare is in the driver’s seat.
GeoVax’s GV-MVA-VLPTM platform is used to construct vaccine candidates using genetic sequences from viruses. In a statement earlier this year, GeoVax’s Chief Scientific Officer, Farshad Guirakhoo, Ph.D., explained GeoVax’s platform and mentioned smallpox and monkeypox specifically. “Perhaps of critical importance is that the viral basis of our vaccine vector (MVA) has more than 50 years of safety records and has been recently approved by the FDA for prevention of smallpox and monkeypox diseases.”
Next week the company is presenting at the Genetic Vaccine Development for Infectious Disease Summit on May 26th. Its focus will be on GeoVax’s COVID vaccine. However, in light of recent monkeypox news, it may be something that traders are looking for more information about as well.
3. Tonix Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: TNXP)
Another antiviral drug treatment development company is in the spotlight today. Tonix Pharmaceuticals has most recently focused on COVID treatments. However, monkeypox has placed some attention on it in the stock market today.
More specifically, Tonix’s infectious disease pipeline consists of a vaccine in development to prevent smallpox and monkeypox called TNX-801. This treatment is the basis for Tonix’s TNX-1800. Why is this important? Both TNX-1840 and TNX-1850 are planned new versions of the TNX-1800 vaccine that encode spike protein from SARS-CoV-2, omicron, and BA.2 strains, respectively. They are also more actively being discussed thanks to the more prominent coronavirus.
However, with speculation focused on other viruses, TNXP stock has popped up on the watch list today. Its platform to tackle smallpox and monkeypox has become the target of excitement.
Monkeypox Stocks & The Stock Market Today
As with many other outbreaks, speculation is an early catalyst. The more details that emerge, the greater the new micro-sector can shift. We saw this trend early on during the 2020 pandemic. We’ve also seen countless instances of this with Ebola, smallpox, zika, swine flu, etc. While penny stocks are where retail is focused, there are other stocks traders are watching as well.
Bavarian Nordic (OTC: BVNRY) was the latest name to join the list of monkeypox stocks this week. The U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) exercised the first options under a contract to supply a freeze-dried version of the JYNNEOS® smallpox vaccine. This would allow for the first doses of this version to be manufactured and invoiced in 2023 and 2024. According to headlines this week, the options have a value of $119 million and “represent the first options exercised to convert bulk vaccine…into freeze-dried doses of JYNNEOS smallpox vaccine.”
According to the FDA website, “JYNNEOS is a vaccine Indicated for prevention of smallpox and monkeypox disease in adults 18 years of age and older determined to be at high risk for smallpox or monkeypox infection.”
So you might imagine how OTC stock traders have reacted to the news. Nevertheless, it’s always important to keep your trading plan in mind and understand that this could be a volatile situation early on.
If you enjoyed this article and you’re interested in learning how to trade so you can have the best chance to profit consistently then you need to checkout this YouTube channel. CLICK HERE RIGHT NOW!!
