By August 2022, Moderna hoped to have a booster available.
Key Takeaways:
- An Omicron-specific booster vaccination might be ready by August, according to the CEO of the US biotech company Moderna.
- Moderna, on the other hand, announced plans to expand its European commercial network in order to increase sales on the continent.
According to the US biotech business Moderna CEO, an Omicron-specific booster vaccine might be ready by August. Still, the company is currently gathering clinical data to see if it would provide better protection than a new dosage of the existing vaccine.
Moderna launched clinical trials for an Omicron-specific booster dosage last month. Still, preliminary data from monkey tests suggest the Omicron-specific injection may not provide more protection than a new dose of the old vaccine.
In an interview, Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel stated that the business hoped to have a booster available by August 2022, well before next autumn, when he predicted that more susceptible individuals would require it.
Moderna's vaccines employ mRNA technology to elicit an immunological response comparable to Pfizer/injection. BioNTech's
"A booster, we suppose, will be required. I'm not sure if it'll be the old vaccination plus Omicron, or if it'll be bivalent: Omicron plus existing vaccine, two mRNA in one shot."
He added that when clinical evidence becomes available, a decision will be taken in the following months.
Bancel also indicated that, under the best-case scenario, Moderna would have a so-called pan-vaccine available by August 2023, which would protect against Covid-19, flu, and other respiratory infections at the same time.
He also stated that the price of the vaccine in development would be "quite similar" to the present vaccination.
According to UNICEF, a United Nations body involved in providing vaccinations to impoverished countries, Moderna charges varying fees for different parts of the world, ranging from $15 to $37.
Increasing European sales
On the other hand, Moderna announced ambitions to extend its European commercial network to boost sales on the continent.
"To support the distribution of mRNA vaccines and therapies locally, Moderna wants to create a commercial presence in Belgium, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Poland, and Sweden," the business stated in a statement.
Commercial offices in Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom will be supplemented by these new European subsidiaries. In addition, Moderna is expanding its business footprint in Asia.
Moderna manufactures its vaccines throughout Europe in collaboration with Lonza in Switzerland and the Netherlands, ROVI in Spain, and Recipharm in France.
Last year, the business supplied more than 800 million Covid-19 injections worldwide, and it has agreements with EU nations to supply up to 460 million doses.
Moderna is also developing mRNA therapeutics to treat various ailments, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and uncommon genetic disorders, in addition to immunizations.