The modern coronavirus booster vaccine that protects against the South African variant will be ready by FALL, says CEO
- Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel says the company is testing three coronavirus booster vaccines in parallel
- Two-thirds of volunteers will receive an active version of the booster fire, which targets the mutated protein, which makes the South African version so effective in infecting human cells.
- The third part will receive a vaccine that combines the original Modern vaccine and the booster vaccine in a single dose
- Bancel said emergency use should be submitted to the FDA in the third quarter of 2021, providing booster photos by fall
- About 39.5% of the US population has received at least one dose and over three million people are vaccinated every day
The CEO of Moderna says that the booster of the COVID-19 vaccine of the biotechnology company – a third blow given to people to increase their protection – will be available until the autumn.
Stéphane Bancel told CNBC that researchers tested three different types of the third dose at the same time to see which is most effective in protecting against the coronavirus variant in South Africa.
“Our goal is to work hard to prepare for this before the fall,” he told Squawk Box.
“I want to make sure that boost vaccines are available in the fall so that we can protect people, as we will see in the fall and next winter season in the United States.”
Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel (pictured) told CNBC that the company tested three booster photos for the coronavirus vaccine in parallel
Bancel said the emergency use should be submitted to the FDA in the third quarter of 2021, making the recall photos available by the fall. Pictured: a bottle of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, April 2021
Although US health regulators have not recommended that Americans receive coronavirus vaccine stimulators, experts fear increased transmission of variants in the UK, South Africa and Brazil.
The South African variant was the most worrying, as several studies have found that it avoids vaccines more easily than older types of the virus.
Recently updated data from Moderna’s Phase III clinical trial showed that its vaccine is 90% effective in protecting against COVID-19 six months after the second dose.
Although this is a degradation from estimates in previous clinical trials, which suggests that it could prevent 94.5% of infections, it is still evidence of long-term protection.
Bancel said that it is possible that after another six months or a year since a person received the second dose, the protection against the virus will decrease between 70 and 80 percent.
“What I think it really looks like is what we’ve been saying for months now, it’s that we think we’re all going to need stimulation,” he said.
“We are testing in the clinic right now, stimulating our currently authorized vaccine. And we think this will be useful, because it will increase virtually all neutralizing antibodies for people who have already received our vaccinations.
In the new study, volunteers will receive three types of booster shots, which are modified versions of the original Modern vaccine.
One third of participants will receive 50 micrograms from the booster candidate, who has been nicknamed mRNA-1273,351.
The booster vaccine serum contains a little genetic code for the mutant spike protein of the South African variant, which the virus uses to enter and infect human cells.
More than three million people are vaccinated every day, while the United States continues to step 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 completely immunized.
Another third will receive a higher dose, 100 micrograms, of the candidate.
The latter group will be given a vaccine called mRNA-1273,211, which combines the original Modern vaccine and the booster vaccine in a single dose.
Researchers will evaluate the safety of the booster, as well as whether or not it is able to induce an immune response.
They will also look at potential side effects, including redness and pain at the injection site, fever, headache, fatigue and muscle aches.
If the results are positive and the third dose is determined to be safe, Moderna will apply for emergency use authorization from the US 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 – are completely immunized.
More than three million people are vaccinated every day, with the US recently surpassing President Joe Biden’s target of 200 million vaccinations in its first 100 days in office
