Vaxart Inc is developing oral vaccines for COVID-19, norovirus, and influenza with promising early clinical results but financial struggles. Vaxart received $453M funding from BARDA for a 10,000-patient Phase 2b trial comparing their COVID-19 oral vaccine to an mRNA vaccine. Despite a stock price spike following the news, Vaxart faced investor disappointment with a $40M offering shortly after the BARDA funding announcement.