CureVac NV said Wednesday its experimental Covid-19 vaccine was 47% effective against the disease in an interim analysis of a large clinical trial, a disappointing outcome likely to dim the shot's prospects for wider use.

The setback could hinder vaccination campaigns in Europe because the German company has a contract with the European Commission to supply up to 405 million doses. CureVac has struck partnerships with big pharmaceutical companies GlaxoSmithKline PLC and Novartis AG to help make doses.

Israel-Hamas Tensions High as Gaza Militants Launch More Flaming Balloons

TEL AVIV-Palestinian militants in Gaza launched more flaming balloons into Israel on Wednesday, as a new round of violence between Israel and Hamas entered a second day and threatened to trigger another conflict.

Little-known militant groups in Gaza claimed responsibility for the arson attacks, which ignited four fires in agricultural zones in southern Israel, according to Israel's Fire and Rescue Authority.

Regeneron's Antibody Drug Cuts Risk of Death in Some Covid-19 Patients

An antibody treatment developed by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. has been shown to significantly cut the risk of death among certain hospitalized Covid-19 patients, raising hopes for a valuable new tool for tackling severe cases.

A large U.K. trial involving nearly 10,000 patients showed that administering REGEN-COV on top of usual care reduced the risk of dying by a fifth among hospitalized coronavirus patients who hadn't produced antibodies to the virus. The drug had no effect among patients who had already produced antibodies.

Write to paul.larkins@dowjones.com

Expected Major Events for Thursday

04:30/NED: May Unemployment

06:00/EU: May New Passenger Car Registrations in Europe statistics (EU27 + EFTA3)

06:00/SWI: May Trade Balance

07:00/SVK: May Harmonized CPI

07:00/AUT: May CPI

07:00/SPN: Apr Trade Balance

07:30/SWE: 1Q Financial accounts

07:30/SWI: Swiss National Bank monetary policy assessment

08:00/ITA: Apr Foreign Trade EU

08:00/NOR: Norges Bank monetary policy decision and presentation of Monetary Policy Report

09:00/MLT: May Harmonised CPI

09:00/EU: May Harmonised CPI

09:00/EU: Apr Construction output

11:00/TUR: Turkish interest rate decision

All times in GMT. Powered by Kantar Media and Dow Jones.

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(END) Dow Jones Newswires

06-17-21 0030ET