Moderna’s Covid-19 booster shot elicits a strong antibody response against the Omicron variant of coronavirus, appearing to increase antibody levels even further than a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
The Boston-based biotech said its half-dose booster increases antibody levels 37-fold, compared with people who received just two doses. BioNTech and Pfizer have previously said their booster lifts antibody levels 25-fold, though the studies may not be directly comparable.
But Stéphane Bancel, Moderna’s chief executive, on Monday said Moderna would also continue to invest in developing a vaccine targeted to the Omicron variant, in case it became necessary in the future, putting it into clinical trials early next year.