US Stock Market Move | The FDA is considering requiring new vaccines to undergo placebo-controlled tests. Vaccine stocks are trending downward against the market.

On Thursday, the vaccine sector went against the market trend and declined. As of the time of writing, GlaxoSmithKline plc Sponsored ADR (GSK.US) fell by over 1.9%, Sanofi (SNY.US) fell by nearly 1%, Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK.US) fell by over 1.2%, AstraZeneca PLC Sponsored ADR (AZN.US) fell by 1.7%, Pfizer Inc. (PFE.US) fell by over 1.5%, BioNTech (BNTX.US) fell by over 2.5%, Moderna (MRNA.US) fell by over 3.7%, and Novavax, Inc. (NVAX.US) fell by over 3%. On the news front, according to reports from multiple US media outlets on Wednesday evening, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is planning to require all new vaccines to undergo placebo-controlled clinical trials before approval. This new policy marks a significant shift in the US vaccine approval mechanism. According to the earliest reports from foreign media, this new rule means that future new vaccines must introduce a control group in clinical trials before safety testing and applying for marketing approval, that is, some participants will be injected with inactive components like saline solution to compare and evaluate with those receiving the real vaccine. An HHS spokesperson responded to comments made by Health Minister Robert F. Kennedy regarding measles vaccines and vaccine policy, stating, "All new vaccines will have to undergo safety testing through placebo-controlled trials, which is completely different from past practices." However, the HHS did not specify how this policy would be implemented, nor did it disclose which types of vaccines it would apply to. There is still uncertainty about the definition of "new vaccines." According to reports, this policy is not expected to apply to influenza vaccines. HHS pointed out that influenza vaccines have been used and validated for over 80 years, with their components adjusted each year to address variant virus strains, and they have a mature safety record, so they may not be covered by this policy. When asked whether vaccines that have already completed safety studies will be re-evaluated, the HHS response primarily focused on COVID-19 vaccines, with no comment on other types of vaccines.