Moderna says dual variant booster provides better protection
A second booster dose was authorized for emergency use in Americans 50 years and older
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Moderna Inc. said Tuesday that its modified COVID-19 booster vaccine candidate provides better protection against omicron and a number of virus variants than its currently available coronavirus vaccine.
The biotechnology company reported that a 50-microgram booster dose of its first "bivalent" booster vaccine candidate "demonstrated superiority against beta, delta and omicron variants of concern one month after administration."
SECOND BOOSTER DOSE OF PFIZER, MODERNA COVID-19 VACCINES AUTHORIZED BY FDA
The data has not yet been vetted by independent experts.
Before the global emergence of omicron, Moderna was studying a combination shot that added protection against the beta variant.
A health worker administers a dose of a Moderna COVID-19 vaccine during a vaccination clinic at the Norristown Public Health Center in Norristown, Pa., Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke / AP Newsroom)
"We are pleased with these data for our first bivalent booster candidate, mRNA-1273.211. We believe that these results validate our bivalent strategy, which we announced and began pursuing in February 2021," Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said in a statement. "Our latest bivalent booster candidate, mRNA-1273.214, which combines the currently authorized Moderna COVID-19 booster with our omicron-specific booster candidate, remains our lead candidate for the fall 2022 Northern Hemisphere booster."
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MRNA | MODERNA INC. | 53.54 | -1.09 | -2.00% |
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The 50-microgram booster dose of its bivalent booster vaccine candidate met Moderna's objectives, including superiority immunogenicity criteria against variants of concern when compared to its currently approved mRNA-1273 booster dose.
Nearly 900 participants participated in the study, with 300 receiving the 50-microgram dose of the booster candidate with the rest getting the 100-microgram dose. The candidate was "generally well tolerated" and the 50-microgram dose of the booster candidate had a similar incidence of solicited adverse reactions and unsolicited adverse events with the authorized mRNA-1273 booster.
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"We believe that a bivalent booster vaccine, if authorized, would create a new tool as we continue to respond to emerging variants," Bancel said.
Moderna and Pfizer are both testing bivalent shots: a mix of the original vaccine and an omicron-targeted version.
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COVID-19 vaccines still are providing strong protection against severe disease, hospitalization and death, even against omicron.
Americans 50 years old or older or those with a severely weakened immune system can get a second booster shot.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.