JAKARTA - Vaccine manufacturer Moderna Inc., said a new version of its coronavirus vaccine resulted in a better immune response to the Omicron variant than the previous vaccine.
The vaccine, given as the fourth dose in a trial involving more than 800 people, increased virus-neutralizing antibodies by up to eightfold against Omicron.
The company said it plans to submit data on the vaccine, which targets Omicron as well as the original coronavirus strain, to regulators in the coming weeks, while doses could be available to consumers in late summer.
Moderna president Stephen Hoge said his company was in touch with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other regulators about the study design, which should make submissions a smooth process.
"We expect it to be a relatively easy discussion and submission," he said.
It is not known whether countries including the United States will adopt an annual fall booster vaccine dose, similar to the flu vaccine.
"The data looks quite entertaining and convincing," said Dr. William Schaffner, infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
He added that while he expects the FDA to certify the vaccine, it is not known whether the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will recommend the shot for all adults, or for a portion of the population such as the elderly.
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Separately, Moderna Chief Executive Officer Stephane Bancel said the company has ramped up production of the new booster with the aim of being ready for delivery in early August.
In the study, which did not measure the effectiveness of the booster vaccine, the vaccine produced greater antibodies against the Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta variants compared to the original injection.
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