Stock for Icosavax, Inc. (ICVX) has been under the spotlight in today’s current market, for all the wrong reasons. The biotech stock tumbled hard today, losing value by nearly 60%, giving a scare to all market participants holding it. ICVXs plummet traces back to today’s premarket when it had triggered off, continuing its tumble with the regular trade session. This disappointing news for ICVX comes in a broader context of a bearish fall traced back to November last year. In the last 5 months alone, ICVX lost 85% of its value, proving to be a value-burner for its investors.

Covid-19 Vaccine Candidate for ICVX Trial Results Miss Targets

The downfall of ICVX was triggered primarily by the results of its IVX-411 candidate. The vaccine for Sars-Cov-2 was the lead candidate for the company, with investors betting heavily on its success. The trial’s phase 1 /2 results did demonstrate an immunological response to the virus. However, the effectiveness of this response remains extremely low to pass on as a functioning treatment. In addition to the low effectiveness, the study found that the data had been inconsistent with published figures by Icosavax. Understandably, this raises severe red flags

The news obviously comes as a shock for investors, for whom the trial was the main anchor driving further growth. Given the news, ICVX plummeted as investors rushed to get their hands on the overvalued stock, anticipating further price tumble. In fact, the five-month-long bearish slide was tolerated largely in anticipation of the IVX-411 results. Biotech firms are typically risky investments, with ICVX traders as a clear example of what can go wrong. Investors that had diversified their holdings were able to cushion this fall. This most notably comes as a result of the cannabinoid stock growth wave of today.

ICVX Growth Prospects

For risk-tolerant investors in ICVX, all hope may not exactly be out the window yet. Although the results have delivered a blow, the company’s pipeline of candidates still has some worthy projects underway. Its candidate IVX-121 is still underway with trials, addressing respiratory syncytial virus. Although still in phase 1/1b, the ICVX growth trajectory rests on its success.

Conclusion

ICVX’s plummet links primarily to the disappointing trial studies working towards its Covid-19 vaccine. Being the lead candidate, the stock’s plummet comes as no surprise. The persistent slide from November last year indicates a high number of investors were betting on the trial’s success. However, a number of crucial candidates remain in its pipeline, which still holds the potential of a turnaround.