The first participants in the Moderna study evaluating new variant-specific booster doses were vaccinated, the company announced. The new vaccines target a variant of the coronavirus detected for the first time in South Africa, which has demonstrated reduced vaccine efficacy.
Moderna is testing three variations of a booster among 60 vaccinated participants. First, it will study the variant-specific jab, which will be administered at a lower dose than its original vaccine (20 micrograms), and will require an approved FDA assessment and amendment to the original emergency use authorization prior to distribution to the FDA. public, if the test results are promising.
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Second, Moderna said it plans to study a combination of the original vaccine and the specific variant in a single injection of 50 micrograms. Finally, he will study the effects of the booster dose variant at a higher dose, 50 micrograms.
In a recently published study, the biotech giant said its existing COVID-19 jab was found to have a six-fold reduction in antibodies induced by the B.1.351 variant vaccine. Despite this reduction, however, “the levels of neutralizing title with B.1.351 remain above the levels expected to be protective,” said the company.
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“For being too cautious, Moderna is looking for a clinical development strategy against these emerging variants,” according to the company’s statement published on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, an institute at the National Institutes of Health will run a trial to test the new modified vaccines as primary injections in unvaccinated individuals and as a booster injection in those previously vaccinated. Moderna said the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases will start this study when it receives the green light from the FDA.
Fox News’ Madeline Farber contributed to this report.