Barinthus price target lowered to $6 from $7.50 at Alliance Global Partners

Alliance Global Partners analyst James Molloy lowered the firm’s price target on Barinthus Biotherapeutics (BRNS) to $6 from $7.50 and keeps a Buy rating on the shares after the company announced additional interim data from VTP-300. Both this recent interim data and earlier data reads have shown that VTP-300 reduces hepatitis B surface antigen levels in affected patients, the analyst tells investors in a research note. The firm attributes the recent share price weakness to the advancement out of Senate Committee of the incoming Administration’s pick to lead the U.S Department of Health and Human Services. The HHS pick is a vocal and well-noted vaccine skeptic, and one who remains convinced, against all evidence, that vaccines cause autism, contends Alliance Global. The firm does not see this as a positive for the pharma space overall, and “especially not for vaccine developers.”