The Moderna company, which had previously hinted that its vaccine might be effective against variants of the coronavirus, performed tests to confirm its intuition. And the results obtained seem satisfactory since the experts affirmed Monday, January 25 to expect that the vaccine “protects against the variants detected on this date”. Moderna said, however, that she would work to develop an additional dose to further increase protection against these variants, namely the British mutant virus and South Africa.
“The study did not show a significant impact on the titers (levels, NDLR) of antibodies against the B.1.1.7 variant compared to previous variants,” Moderna explained of the British variant.
In contrast, “a six-fold reduction” in antibody levels against the South African variant (B.1.351) was observed. But, “despite this reduction”, antibody levels “remain above what is expected to be necessary to provide protection,” Moderna writes in its statement.
A third dose needed to fight the variants?
To study the impact of its vaccine, called mRNA-1273, Moderna took blood samples from eight people who had received two doses of its remedy, and several primates who were also immune.
“We are encouraged by this new data, which strengthens our confidence that Moderna’s vaccine against Covid-19 should protect against these new variants detected,” said boss Stéphane Bancel.
“But, as a precaution (…), we are testing a candidate for a booster against the ‘South African’ variant to determine if it would be more effective in increasing the levels (of antibodies) against that variant and ‘other potential future variants,’ he added.
The company will also test the impact of injecting a third dose of its already existing vaccine. The results of the trials, conducted in collaboration with the American National Institutes of Health (NIH), will be submitted for study by the scientific community.
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
