The race for a vaccine: The investment trust managers combating coronavirus

Outlooks for the biotech sector

With vast swathes of the world in lockdown, the one question on everyone's minds is how long will it take to develop a vaccine against Covid-19?

The Association of Investment Companies (AIC) spoke to investment company and VCT managers about the prospects for a vaccine and how their portfolio companies are contributing to the fight against coronavirus. What are the prospects for a vaccine? Paul Major, Manager of BB Healthcare trust: "We are optimistic that a vaccine will be in commercial production within 18 months. There are more than 40 companies and groups working on a variety of approaches and we are mindful of the swine flu pandemic of 2009, when a vaccine was delivered within around six months from the WHO declaring it an...