Moderna announced promising clinical trial data indicating that its updated COVID-19 vaccine is likely to be highly effective against the highly-mutated BA.2.86 subvariant of the coronavirus. This subvariant has recently raised concerns of a potential resurgence of COVID-19 infections globally. Moderna reported that its vaccine candidate demonstrated an impressive 8.7-fold increase in neutralizing antibodies in human subjects against BA.2.86, a subvariant closely monitored by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Jacqueline Miller, Moderna’s head of infectious diseases, expressed optimism about the findings, stating in an interview, “We think this is news people will want to hear as they prepare to go out and get their fall boosters.” She further emphasized that this data should provide reassurance to regulators and healthcare authorities.
The CDC had previously indicated concerns about the BA.2.86 subvariant’s potential to cause infections, particularly among individuals who had previously contracted COVID-19 or received earlier vaccine shots. This new variant, an offshoot of the Omicron strain, harbors more than 35 mutations in key regions of the virus, distinguishing it from the dominant XBB.1.5 variant that prevailed throughout most of 2023. Moderna has promptly shared these encouraging findings with regulatory bodies and submitted them for peer-reviewed publication.
While the updated Moderna vaccine is yet to receive approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it is expected to become available to the public later this month or in early October. Moderna joins other pharmaceutical giants, including Novavax and Pfizer in partnership with BioNTech, in developing vaccines specifically tailored to combat the XBB.1.5 subvariant.
Just last month, both Moderna and Pfizer announced preliminary results suggesting the effectiveness of their new vaccines against another concerning subvariant known as EG.5. European regulators have already endorsed the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency in the United Kingdom granting approval for its use just this past week. However, there have been no official statements from European regulators regarding Moderna’s updated vaccine.
BA.2.86 has now been detected in several countries worldwide, including Switzerland, South Africa, Israel, Denmark, the United States, and Britain, according to a WHO official. Although it is essential to closely monitor the variant’s progress, experts have conveyed that the likelihood of it causing a surge in severe disease and fatalities is low, primarily due to the widespread immunity achieved through mass vaccination campaigns and prior infections.
Moderna’s latest data offers hope to individuals seeking a safe and effective defense against the BA.2.86 subvariant. With clinics anticipated to receive the updated vaccine in the near future, this development represents a significant step forward in the ongoing battle against a virus that has caused widespread disruption on a global scale.
Source: Reuters
