How might a Sanofi-GSK COVID vaccine compete against mRNA shots?
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Sanofi (SNY
+0.7%) and GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK
+1.0%) announcement this morning that they are pursuing regulatory authorization for a COVID-19 vaccine has many wondering how it might compete against existing shots.
For example, in the United States and European Union, where the vast majority of immunizations have occurred, vaccinations are dominated by mRNA makes, Pfizer (PFE
-1.5%)/BioNTech (BNTX
-5.5%), and Moderna (MRNA
-6.6%).
In the European Union, as of Feb. 22, of the 824M COVID shots administered, 89% were one of the mRNA vaccines, according to Our World in Data. And of that number, most were the Pfizer (PFE
-1.5%)/BioNTech (BNTX
-5.8%) shot.


Efficacy-wise, the Sanofi (SNY
+0.7%)/GSK (GSK
+1.0%) vaccine appears to be on the same level as the mRNA vaccines against severe COVID-19. In a phase 3 trial, the new vaccine was 100% effective against severe COVID and hospitalization, 75% effective against moderate or severe disease, and 57.9% effective against any symptomatic COVID disease. 
Data from Pfizer (PFE
-1.3%)/BioNTech (BNTX
-5.8%) and Moderna (MRNA
-6.4%) were both shown to have ~95% efficacy in preventing symptomatic COVID-19, based on their phase 3 trials.
But efficacy alone won't determine the success or failure of the Sanofi (SNY
+0.9%)/GSK (GSK
+1.1%) shot. If approved by the World Health Organization and other regulatory bodies, the vaccine will likely be useful in places where vaccination rates are low, such as Africa.

Still, as the COVID pandemic turns into the endemic stage and questions surround whether additional booster shots are needed, and if so, how often, the future for the Sanofi/GSK shot is far from certain.
Other vaccine makers: Johnson & Johnson (JNJ
+0.2%), AstraZeneca (AZN
-0.3%), and Novavax (NVAX
-6.7%).
Read why Mare Evidence Labs believes Sanofi is a buy.