Moderna Inc. (NASDAQ: MRNA) is planning to test the effectiveness of booster injections of the COVID-19 vaccine a year after the initial doses of the vaccine were administered to an individual, CNBC reported on Thursday.
What happened: The biotechnology company hopes to start the reinforcement study in adult participants in July, revealed its CEO Stéphane Bancel in a corporate presentation at JP Morgan’s 39th Annual Health Conference on Monday.
Moderna’s medical director, Tal Zaks, said at the conference that the company expects the immunity generated by the vaccine to last at least a year, CNBC reported. Zaks added that Moderna would make a “data-based recommendation” on the degree to which booster doses may be needed.
The first participants in the Modern COVID-19 vaccine trial received their vaccines in March, noted CNBC. Those who received less than the 100 microgram dose ultimately authorized by the Food and Drug Administration will receive their booster test dose before one year, while those who received 100 microgram doses or more will receive the booster dose at the one year.
See too: FDA warns against changes to Pfizer and Moderna vaccine regimens following comments by White House advisor
Why it matters: The Modern COVID-19 vaccine received FDA emergency use authorization in December and is the only vaccine currently authorized in addition to Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) and BioNTech SE (NASDAQ: BNTX) candidate.
Medical experts are investigating how long the neutralizing antibodies generated by the COVID-19 vaccines would last.
Preliminary analysis of a relatively small study in the New England Journal of Medicine suggested that – for some people in the older population – the immunization could last less than a year, as reported by Forbes.
Bancel earlier this month said Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine could provide protection for a few years, but added that more data is needed to make a definitive statement, as reported by Reuters.
Price action: Moderna shares closed 4.5% up to $ 129.72 on Thursday. The shares added another 0.6% in the after-hours session.
See also: Moderna partners with Uber in vaccination COVID-19: What you need to know
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