BA.1 Targeted 'mRNA-1273.214'
Stronger Neutralizing Antibody Response Than Existing Vaccines
BA.4·BA.5 Targeted 'mRNA-1273.222' Also in Development
[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] Moderna, a developer of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) therapeutics and vaccines, announced on the 11th (local time) that its Omicron bivalent booster vaccine candidate 'mRNA-1273.214,' developed including the Omicron subvariant (BA.1), elicited a stronger neutralizing antibody response against other Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 compared to the existing vaccine 'Spikevax (mRNA-1273)'.
This result is based on clinical data measuring neutralizing antibody responses one month after administering 50㎍ of mRNA-1273.214 to participants who had completed their third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Notably, the stronger neutralizing antibody response was observed in all participants regardless of prior COVID-19 infection status or age.
One month after administration of mRNA-1273.214, the neutralizing titers against BA.4 and BA.5 variants were 776 (95% confidence interval: 719, 838), while Spikevax showed 458 (95% confidence interval: 421, 499). The geometric mean fold rise (GMFR) against BA.4 and BA.5 variants before and after vaccination was 6.3-fold (95% confidence interval: 5.7, 6.9) for mRNA-1273.214 and 3.5-fold (95% confidence interval: 3.2, 3.9) for mRNA-1273. These results were consistently observed across all subgroups, including participants aged 65 and older. Moderna has submitted these data to health authorities and also provided materials for peer review.
Stefan Bancel, CEO of Moderna, stated, "We are very pleased that Moderna’s bivalent vaccine candidate shows superior efficacy compared to the currently used booster vaccines," adding, "The new data demonstrate that mRNA-1273.214 exhibits much higher titers against all tested variants, including BA.4, BA.5, and BA.1, confirming the validity of Moderna’s bivalent vaccine strategy."
In addition to the mRNA-1273.214 bivalent booster vaccine, Moderna is developing a second bivalent booster vaccine candidate, mRNA-1273.222, based on BA.4 and BA.5, following recommendations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Both bivalent vaccine candidates are being developed to include 25㎍ of the original Spikevax and 25㎍ of the Omicron subvariants.
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