Moderna, Vaxcyte and Novavax Are Trending After-Hours as Suspected Pneumonic Plague In Russia Stirs Anxiety

Vaccine stocks are trending on Tuesday.

Shares of Moderna Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA), Vaxcyte Inc. (NASDAQ:PCVX) and Novavax Inc. (NASDAQ:NVAX) are moving in the after-hours session on Monday.

Moderna rose 0.17% to $203.56 after the bell on Monday. In the regular session, the Massachusetts-based pharmaceutical and biotechnology company gained 6.95% to $203.21, according to Benzinga Pro data.

On the other hand, Novavax slipped 0.88% to $12.45 and Vaxcyte fell 4.36% to $70.60 in the late trading session. The stocks had gained 20.08% and 30.70%, respectively, during the regular session, according to Benzinga Pro data.

Russia Plague Case Keeps Sector in Focus

The stock move followed a suspected pneumonic plague case in Russia, where a 28-year-old anti-plague lab worker died after a reported Sept. 25 exposure to the pathogen. The Trump administration is reportedly monitoring the situation. Nearly 200 contacts are under observation.

Irkutsk Gov. Igor Kobzev said those under monitoring had shown no symptoms and had tested negative.

Vaxcyte Launches $1 Billion Raise

Vaxcyte had its own catalyst as well. The company announced $500 million in common stock and pre-funded warrants, plus $500 million in convertible senior notes due 2032. Vaxcyte said proceeds will fund trials of VAX-31, its 31-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine candidate designed to help prevent pneumococcal disease, along with manufacturing scale-up and U.S. launch preparation.

Moderna said last week that Juan Andres returns as chief operating officer effective Monday, as it prepares to launch intismeran autogene with Merck (NYSE:MRK) following positive Phase 3 results.

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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