Data for Moderna’s Omicron-specific vaccine will probably be available in March
Moderna is also developing a single vaccine that combines a booster dose against Covid-19 with its experimental flu shot
17 January 2022 - 16:50
byMrinalika Roy
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Moderna’s vaccine candidate against the Omicron coronavirus variant will enter clinical development in the next few weeks and the company expects to be able to share data with regulators in about March, CEO Stephane Bancel said on Monday.
“The vaccine is being finished … it should be in the clinic in coming weeks. We are hoping in the March time frame to be able to have data to share with regulators to figure out next steps,” Bancel said at the World Economic Forum’s virtual Davos Agenda conference.
Moderna is also developing a single vaccine that combines a booster dose against Covid-19 with its experimental flu shot.
Bancel said the best case scenario was the combined Covid-19/flu vaccine would be available by the autumn of 2023, at least in some countries.
“Our goal is to be able to have a single annual booster so that we don't have compliance issues where people don’t want to get two to three shots a winter.”
Many countries are already offering a third dose of a Covid-19 vaccine to their citizens, especially to older individuals and those who are immunocompromised, while Israel has started offering its citizens a fourth dose.
Earlier in January, Moderna’s CEO said people may need a fourth shot in the northern hemisphere’s autumn of 2022 as the efficacy of boosters against Covid-19 was likely to decline over the next few months.
However, booster programmes have been met with scepticism from some disease experts over whether, and how widely, additional doses should become available, including the EU's drug regulator, which has expressed doubts about the need for a fourth booster dose.
Speaking at the same event, top US infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said there was no evidence that repeat booster doses would overwhelm the immune system.
“Giving boosters at different times, there is really no evidence that’s going to hinder [immune response].”
Fauci said the goal should be to have a booster that induces a response against multiple potential variants.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Data for Moderna’s Omicron-specific vaccine will probably be available in March
Moderna is also developing a single vaccine that combines a booster dose against Covid-19 with its experimental flu shot
Moderna’s vaccine candidate against the Omicron coronavirus variant will enter clinical development in the next few weeks and the company expects to be able to share data with regulators in about March, CEO Stephane Bancel said on Monday.
“The vaccine is being finished … it should be in the clinic in coming weeks. We are hoping in the March time frame to be able to have data to share with regulators to figure out next steps,” Bancel said at the World Economic Forum’s virtual Davos Agenda conference.
Moderna is also developing a single vaccine that combines a booster dose against Covid-19 with its experimental flu shot.
Bancel said the best case scenario was the combined Covid-19/flu vaccine would be available by the autumn of 2023, at least in some countries.
“Our goal is to be able to have a single annual booster so that we don't have compliance issues where people don’t want to get two to three shots a winter.”
Many countries are already offering a third dose of a Covid-19 vaccine to their citizens, especially to older individuals and those who are immunocompromised, while Israel has started offering its citizens a fourth dose.
Earlier in January, Moderna’s CEO said people may need a fourth shot in the northern hemisphere’s autumn of 2022 as the efficacy of boosters against Covid-19 was likely to decline over the next few months.
However, booster programmes have been met with scepticism from some disease experts over whether, and how widely, additional doses should become available, including the EU's drug regulator, which has expressed doubts about the need for a fourth booster dose.
Speaking at the same event, top US infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said there was no evidence that repeat booster doses would overwhelm the immune system.
“Giving boosters at different times, there is really no evidence that’s going to hinder [immune response].”
Fauci said the goal should be to have a booster that induces a response against multiple potential variants.
Reuters
Early results show Omicron has higher rate of asymptomatic carriers
Booster shots greatly raise protection against Omicron in elderly, researchers say
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Most Read
Related Articles
SA fuels Omicron hope by dodging hospitalisation surge
Moderna CEO’s vaccine comments have oil reeling
Published by Arena Holdings and distributed with the Financial Mail on the last Thursday of every month except December and January.