Moderna’s Covid-19 booster shots show robust antibody responses
August 6, 2021, 4:26 am

Moderna

The We For News reported according to results of Phase 2 clinical trials published on Thursday, Moderna’s Covid-19 booster shots have shown robust antibody responses.

The Indian news websites said, in the trial, Moderna tested a 50-microgram dose of three vaccine booster candidates in previously vaccinated individuals.

The We For News reported, citing the US pharmaceutical major as saying in a statement, the findings showed that it induced robust antibody responses against the wildtype D614G Covid-19 strain and against important variants of concern including Gamma (P1); Beta (B1351); and Delta (B16172).

It added, “Neutralising antibody levels following the boost approached those observed after primary vaccination with two doses of 100 microgram of mRNA-1273.”

The data has been submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication.

The company added that its Covid-19 vaccine does not wane away and remains durable through six months after the second dose. The result of its clinical trial, which started in late July 2020 and recruited 30,000 volunteers, showing 94.1 per cent efficacy did not change much after six months, the company said in a statement.

“We are pleased that our Covid-19 vaccine is showing durable efficacy of 93 per cent through six months, but recognise that the Delta variant is a significant new threat so we must remain vigilant,” Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said.

Moderna has also filed to the US Food and Drug Administration for a final approval of its vaccine on June 1, and expects to complete its submission in August.

The company is also conducting clinical trials of mRNA candidates in across five therapeutic areas including infectious diseases, cardiovascular, oncology, rare disease, and autoimmune disorder.

“We have begun preparing late stage studies for our flu vaccine and RSV vaccine, which received fast track designation from the FDA a few days ago and are looking forward towards our vision of a single dose annual booster that provides protection against Covid-19, flu and RSV for adults,” Bancel said.

On Thursday, the company also released its second-quarter earnings report. Moderna’s Covid vaccine generated $4.2 billion in sales in the three months ended June 30, the earnings report said.

Moderna said it aims to produce between 800 million to 1 billion Covid vaccine doses this year. It has also signed vaccine contracts worth $20 billion in sales this year and has agreements worth $12 billion in 2022, the statement said.

Source: wefornews
Image source: wefornews

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Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.