The biotech’s share price jumps more than two-thirds as analysts hail top-line Phase I/II data as better than expected. Vaxcyte hopes to hold Phase III planning discussions with the FDA in 2023.

A drastic risk-off pullback in the public market can close an IPO window while private biotechs aspiring for either a public debut or an acquisition by big pharma may be stymied by their stale valuations.

During Q2, biopharma merger and acquisition value reached $25.4bn and drew in $27.3bn in potential deal value from alliances. Device company M&A values reached $2.7bn, while in vitro diagnostic firms and research tools players completed M&A activity that totaled $534.3m.

The company looks to be building momentum at last, with four more late-stage trial readouts expected in the second half of 2022.