Moderna says that a modified vaccine booster it developed generates an even stronger immune response against the Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant than its original, the Wall Street Journal writes.
It adds that this new bivalent booster targets both the original SARS-CoV-2 strain and the Omicron variant. Moderna assessed this modified vaccine to find that it was well tolerated in 437 individuals who received it and that it led to an eight-fold increase in neutralizing antibodies against the Omicron variant.
"I think the data clearly show this is a superior booster," Moderna President Stephen Hoge tells the Journal.
The Journal notes, though, that the trial the company conducted — the data from which has not yet undergone peer review — did not look at the efficacy of the new booster.
In a statement, Stéphane Bancel, Moderna's CEO says that this bivalent booster is the company's "lead candidate for a Fall 2022 booster." The company adds that it plans to submit its data to regulators in the next few weeks.