UK first to approve Moderna vaccine targeting Omicron

LONDON • Britain, the first country to approve a coronavirus vaccine in late 2020, has now also given the first green light to a variant-adapted shot that targets both the original and Omicron versions of the virus.

The country's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) yesterday gave the so-called bivalent vaccine made by US drug firm Moderna conditional approval as a booster for adults.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation is expected to soon issue a recommendation on how the vaccine should be deployed in the country.

MHRA's decision was based on clinical trial data that showed the booster triggered "a strong immune response" against both Omicron (BA.1) and the original 2020 virus, it said.

Moderna in June said trial data showed that when given as a fourth dose, the variant-adapted shot raised virus-neutralising antibodies by eightfold against Omicron.

MHRA also cited an exploratory analysis in which the shot was found to generate a "good immune response" against the currently dominant Omicron offshoots BA.4 and BA.5.

According to Moderna, trial data showed its variant-adapted booster generated antibody levels against the sub-variants that were 1.69 times higher than those from the original booster.

No serious safety concerns were identified with the new formulation, MHRA said yesterday.

The government said last month that a vaccine booster programme would begin in "early autumn" and that shots would be offered to those over 50, individuals in clinical risk groups, front-line workers and staff of care homes.

While existing Covid-19 vaccines continue to provide good protection against hospitalisation and death, vaccine effectiveness has taken a hit as the virus has evolved.

"The first generation of Covid-19 vaccines being used in the UK continue to provide important protection against the disease and save lives," said MHRA chief executive June Raine.

"What this bivalent vaccine gives us is a sharpened tool in our armoury to help protect us against this disease as the virus continues to evolve."

Moderna said yesterday that it expected further approvals for the adapted vaccine in Australia, Canada and the European Union in the coming weeks.

REUTERS