Moderna says new COVID-19 booster shows superior response against omicron
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Moderna said Wednesday that its bivalent COVID-19 vaccine booster candidate elicited a superior antibody response against the omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 compared with the original vaccine.
The bivalent vaccine, also called mRNA-1273.214, contains the original vaccine and a new vaccine targeting the omicron variant.
It has the potential to provide broad immunity against new variants that may develop, the company said in a press release.
Moderna said a 50 µg dose of the new booster was “generally well-tolerated, with side effects comparable to” a 50 µg booster dose of the original vaccine, and that it increased neutralizing geometric mean titers (GMT) against the omicron variant by approximately eight-fold above baseline levels among participants in a phase 2/3 trial.
"We are thrilled to share the preliminary data analysis on mRNA-1273.214, which is the second demonstration of superiority of our bivalent booster platform against variants of concern and represents an innovation in the fight against COVID-19," Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel, MSc, MBA, said in the release.
According to the company, data from the trial showed that participants who received the new booster had superior neutralizing GMT against the original SARS-CoV-2 virus compared with participants who received the original vaccine, 5,977 (95% CI, 5,322-6,713) vs. 5,649, (95% CI, 5,057-6,311). It also outperformed the original vaccine against omicron, with neutralizing GMT of 2,372 (95% CI, 2,071-2,718) compared with 1,473 for the original vaccine (95% CI: 1,271-1,708).
According to Bancel, Moderna is submitting preliminary data and analysis to regulators with a goal of having the booster available by late summer.
The FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, which voted this week to recommend the authorization of Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine, will meet on June 28 to discuss whether the composition of COVID-19 vaccines should be modified given changes in the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
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