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Investing.com -- Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) stock surged as much as 12% Thursday following a STAT News report that the COVID-19 vaccine maker has been in discussions with at least one large pharmaceutical company about "a deal of significant scope," which could include a potential acquisition.
According to the report, which cited a person familiar with the discussions, the nature of the potential agreement remains unclear, with both a buyout and a large partnership being considered as options.
The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based biotech company has been seeking to diversify beyond its COVID-19 vaccine business, which has seen declining demand as the pandemic has waned. Moderna’s shares have fallen more than 40% over the past year prior to today’s jump.
Bloomberg Intelligence analysts Sam Fazeli and Max Nisenwrit expressed skepticism about a full takeover, noting that "a full takeover is unlikely, given that the company’s key non-vaccine asset (mRNA-4157) is already partnered with Merck." The analysts suggested that finding a partner for its vaccine business or emerging cancer portfolio is more likely and "would help alleviate the company’s cash burn."
The company has not officially commented on the reported discussions.