Moderna’s Coronavirus Vaccine Booster Injection That Protects Against South African Variant Will Be Ready Against FALL, Says CEO
- Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said the company has tested three coronavirus vaccine booster shots in parallel
- Two-thirds of the volunteers will receive an active version of the booster shot, which targets the mutated, spike protein that makes the South African variant so effective at infecting human cells.
- The remaining third will be given an injection that combines Moderna’s original vaccine and the booster injection in one dose
- Bancel said emergency use should be filed with FDA in Q3 2021, making booster shots available by fall
- About 39.5% of the U.S. population has received at least one dose, and more than three million people are vaccinated every day
Moderna’s CEO says the biotechnology company’s COVID-19 vaccine booster – a third injection given to humans to improve their protection – will be available by fall.
Stéphane Bancel told CNBC that researchers tested three different types of third doses at the same time to see which one is the most effective at protecting against the South African variant of coronavirus.
“Our goal is to work really hard to get this done before fall,” he said on Squawk Box.
‘I want to make sure that boost vaccines are available in the fall so that we protect people, as we will see in the coming fall and winter season in the US’
Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel (pictured) said on CNBC that the company tested three coronavirus booster shots in parallel
Bancel said emergency use should be submitted to the FDA by the third quarter of 2021, making the booster shots available by the fall. Pictured: A vial of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, April 2021
While US health regulators have not recommended that Americans receive coronavirus vaccine boosters, experts fear the increased portability of variants from the UK, South Africa and Brazil.
The South African variety was most troubling because several studies have shown that it evades vaccines more easily than older types of the virus.
Recently updated data from Moderna’s Phase III clinical trial showed that six months after the second dose, the vaccine is 90 percent effective at protecting against COVID-19.
While this is a decrease from estimates in previous clinical studies that suggested it could prevent 94.5 percent of infections, it is still evidence of long-term protection.
Bancel said it’s possible that after another six months, or a year after a person gets their second dose, protection against the virus could drop to between 70 percent and 80 percent.
“ What I think this really shows is what we’ve been saying for months now is we think we’re all going to need a boost, ” he said.
‘We are now testing in the clinic to boost our currently approved vaccine. And we think that will be helpful, because it will basically stimulate any neutralizing antibodies against people who have already received our vaccinations. ‘
In the new study, volunteers will receive three types of booster shots, which are modified versions of Moderna’s original vaccine.
One third of the participants will receive 50 micrograms of the booster candidate, which is called mRNA-1273,351.
The booster vaccine serum contains a piece of genetic code for the South African variant’s mutated spike protein, which the virus uses to invade and infect human cells.
More than three million people are vaccinated every day as the US continues to ramp up vaccination efforts
Currently, more than 131.2 million Americans – 39.5% of the population – have received at least one dose, and 84.2 million – 25.4% – are fully immunized
Another third will receive a higher dose, 100 micrograms, from the candidate.
The latter group will receive an injection called mRNA-1273,211, which combines Moderna’s original vaccine and the booster injection in one dose.
Researchers will evaluate the safety of the booster, as well as whether or not it is capable of eliciting an immune response.
They will also look for possible side effects, including injection site redness and pain, fever, headache, fatigue, and muscle pain.
If the results are positive and the third dose is determined to be safe, Moderna will seek emergency use clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the third quarter of 2021.
As of Monday, more than 131.2 million Americans – 39.5 percent of the population – have received at least one dose, and 84.2 million – 25.4 percent – have been fully immunized.
More than three million people are vaccinated every day, with the US recently surpassing President Joe Biden’s goal of 200 million vaccinations in his first 100 days in office.
