Moderna (NASDAQ: MRNA), Inovio Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: INO), and Novavax (NASDAQ: NVAX) have become household names these days -- at least to investors betting on who may win the coronavirus vaccine race. More than 20 companies and research institutes have brought their candidates into human testing at record speed. And the U.S. government's Operation Warp Speed -- an effort to shepherd a vaccine to market by January -- is paying out billions of dollars to promising candidates.
Image source: Getty Images.
Now the big question is this: Who is leading this race? For some clues, let's take a closer look at some of the most talked-about companies vying for the opportunity to play a primary role in halting this global health crisis.