CNBC Television published this video item, entitled “Moderna plans to test booster doses of variant-specific vaccine for NIH study” – below is their description.
CNBC’s Meg Tirrell reports that Modena has shipped doses of its variant-specific vaccine to the National Institutes of Health for a clinical study, and the company has also boosted its manufacturing targets for the vaccine. For access to live and exclusive video from CNBC subscribe to CNBC PRO: https://cnb.cx/2NGeIvi
Moderna said Wednesday it has shipped to the National Institutes of Health doses of a new Covid-19 vaccine designed to provide better protection against the highly contagious coronavirus variant spreading in South Africa.
The vaccine – which Moderna is calling mRNA-1273.351 – is ready to be tested in an early stage clinical trial to determine if it can be used as a booster shot against the South African strain, also known as B.1.351, the company said. Moderna has found its current two-dose regimen generates a weaker immune response against the strain from South Africa, though the company said antibodies in patients remain above levels that are expected to be protective against the virus.
“Moderna is committed to making as many updates to our vaccine as necessary until the pandemic is under control,” the company’s CEO, Stephane Bancel, said in a press release. “We hope to demonstrate that booster doses, if necessary, can be done at lower dose levels, which will allow us to provide many more doses to the global community in late 2021 and 2022 if necessary.”
U.S. health officials are growing concerned about new, emerging variants of the virus, particularly the B.1.351 strain, which has been shown to reduce the effectiveness of vaccines both on the market and under development. In recent weeks, White House Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci has pushed Americans to get vaccinated as quickly as possible before potentially new and even more dangerous variants of the virus emerge.
As of Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified 1,881 cases of the B.1.1.7 variant, first found in the U.K. The U.S. agency said it has identified 46 cases of the B.1.351 strain, from South Africa, as well as five cases of P.1, a variant first discovered in Brazil. As additional people become infected, the more likely it is that even more problematic mutations will arise, medical experts say.
On Monday, the Food and Drug Administration released updated guidance that said modified Covid-19 vaccines that work to protect against new, emerging variants may be authorized without the need for lengthy clinical trials. The FDA would clear the new vaccine as an amendment to a company’s originally approved emergency use application, thus accelerating the regulatory review process.
Moderna first announced on Jan. 25 that it was working on a booster shot to guard against the variant in South Africa.
The company said Wednesday that it plans to evaluate three approaches to increasing immunity. The first approach would use variant-specific booster shots, such as mRNA-1273.351, but at a lower dose than the original vaccine. The second one would combine the original vaccine with a variant-specific vaccine into a single shot at 50 micrograms or lower, Moderna said. The third would test a third shot of the original vaccine at a lower dosage.
Moderna said it also plans to test the original vaccine and the new booster shot as a two-dose regimen in people without coronavirus antibodies.
Separately, the company also announced that it expects to produce up to 1.4 billion Covid-19 vaccine doses in 2022. It also has raised its base-case global production estimate from 600 million doses to 700 million doses this year.
Moderna said the 1.4 billion doses in 2022 is with the assumption the vaccine will be administered at its current level of 100 micrograms. If the vaccine is found to be effective at a lower dosage level, the company could supply up to 2.8 billion doses in 2022, the company said.
» Subscribe to CNBC TV: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBCtelevision
» Subscribe to CNBC: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBC
» Subscribe to CNBC Classic: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBCclassic
Turn to CNBC TV for the latest stock market news and analysis. From market futures to live price updates CNBC is the leader in business news worldwide.
The News with Shepard Smith is CNBC’s daily news podcast providing deep, non-partisan coverage and perspective on the day’s most important stories. Available to listen by 8:30pm ET / 5:30pm PT daily beginning September 30: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/29/the-news-with-shepard-smith-podcast.html?__source=youtube%7Cshepsmith%7Cpodcast
Connect with CNBC News Online
Get the latest news: http://www.cnbc.com/
Follow CNBC on LinkedIn: https://cnb.cx/LinkedInCNBC
Follow CNBC News on Facebook: https://cnb.cx/LikeCNBC
Follow CNBC News on Twitter: https://cnb.cx/FollowCNBC
Follow CNBC News on Instagram: https://cnb.cx/InstagramCNBC
https://www.cnbc.com/select/best-credit-cards/
#CNBC
#CNBCTV
CNBC Television YouTube Channel
Got a comment? Leave your thoughts in the comments section, below. Please note comments are moderated before publication.