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Early studies have provided hope that the newest Covid-19 vaccines will help protect people against the highly mutated new variant BA.2.86, which scientists had feared could prove dangerous.
Moderna, Pfizer and BioNTech said on Wednesday that a lab test showed its latest vaccine, which was designed to tackle the prevalent XBB.1.5 variant, also elicits antibodies to the more recently emerged strain BA.2.86.
The Boston-based biotech’s announcement follows early research from scientists at Harvard and Sweden’s Karolinska Institute that suggested that people who had been infected with the XBB.1.5 variant could also make antibodies against BA.2.86.
However, there is limited information available regarding the protection provided by previous boosters or infections caused by other variants against BA.2.86.
Stephen Hoge, president of Moderna, stated that their updated Covid-19 vaccine generates a “strong human immune response” against the variant, increasing existing antibodies that combat the virus by 8.7 times. He also mentioned that it provides a similar response against other emerging variants, such as EG.5 and FL1.5.1.
“These data confirm that our updated Covid-19 vaccine will continue to be an important tool for protection as we head into the fall vaccination season,” said Hoge.
Shares in Moderna were down 1.9% in New York afternoon trading, whereas Pfizer was down 3% and BioNTech dropped 1.9%.
The US plans to roll out updated boosters targeting XBB.1.5 in the coming weeks, pending approval from the Food and Drug Administration. On the other hand, EU and UK regulators have already approved the new boosters, with the UK recommending them for those over 75 and the most vulnerable individuals.
England has advanced its Covid-19 vaccination campaign to start on September 11, earlier than the original date in October, due to concerns about the potential danger posed by BA.2.86. The UK health security agency stated that it had limited information on the new variant.
Research conducted by the Barouch Laboratory at Harvard revealed that BA.2.86 triggered a lower antibody response compared to the previous variant BA.2. However, an XBB.1.5 infection increased the antibody response, indicating that the modified vaccines may offer enhanced protection.
Similarly, the Swedish team found that blood samples taken last year, before the circulation of the XBB variant, contained antibodies with reduced ability to neutralize BA.2.86. However, a higher proportion of the blood samples taken last week contained antibodies against the strain. The researchers did not differentiate between individuals who had confirmed Covid-19 infections caused by XBB.1.5 and those who did not.
Additional reporting by Jamie Smyth in New York
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