Coronavirus New variant of concern
Drug firms testing vaccines against new virus variant
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NEW YORK • Novavax said it has started working on a version of its Covid-19 vaccine to target the Omicron variant detected in South Africa and would have the shot ready for testing and manufacturing in the next few weeks.
The company's Covid-19 shot contains an actual version of the virus' spike protein that cannot cause the disease but can trigger the immune system. The vaccine developer said it had started developing a spike protein specifically based on the known genetic sequence of the variant, B.1.1.529.
"The initial work will take a few weeks," a company spokesman said. Novavax's vaccine received its first emergency use approval earlier this month in Indonesia, followed by the Philippines. The company has said it is on track to file for US approval by the end of the year. It has also filed for approval with the European Medicines Agency, and in Singapore and Canada.
German drugmaker BioNTech said it was testing the effectiveness of its Covid-19 vaccine against the new variant.
It said on Friday that it expects more data on the Omicron variant to determine if its vaccine produced with partner Pfizer would have to be reworked.
Moderna said it is working to advance a booster candidate tailored to the new variant. It has also been testing a higher dose of its existing booster, and is studying other candidates to protect against multiple variants.
Yesterday, AstraZeneca said it had "developed, in close collaboration with Oxford University, a vaccine platform that enables us to respond quickly to new variants". The Britain-based drug company said it was "already conducting research in locations where the variant has been identified".
REUTERS
