Moderna says updated Covid vaccine kicks up antibodies against BA.2.86

As Moderna awaits an FDA decision to kick-start its fall Covid vaccination campaign, the biotech is continuing to beef up its data package.

Moderna reported new clinical trial data Wednesday suggesting that its updated Covid-19 vaccine generates neutralizing antibodies against BA.2.86, or Pirola, a variant that is being monitored. Based on a research assay, the jab led to an 8.7-fold increase in antibodies against this specific variant. BA.2.86 is a highly mutated variant, according to the company, which the CDC has noted “may be more likely to break through existing immunity from previous vaccination or infection.”

Fall 2023 marks the first time Covid shots will enter the commercial market in the US, where private payers will be footing the bill rather than the government. Although Moderna — like all the other major Covid vaccine makers — expects a steep drop in revenue compared to last year, it’s still forecasting Covid vaccine sales between $6 billion and $8 billion this year, depending largely on uptake in the US.

Its updated vaccine contains spike proteins for the XBB.1.5 sublineage of SARS-CoV-2.

Stephen Hoge

The latest update comes just a few weeks after Moderna touted how the vaccine boosted antibody levels against two other circulating variants of interest — EG.5 (Eris), a dominant variant of concern, and FL.1.5.1 (Fornax), which is rapidly spreading in parts of the US. According to the new release, the vaccine triggered as much as an 11-fold increase in antibody levels against these variants.

“Taken together with our previously communicated results showing a similarly effective response against EG.5 and FL.1.5.1 variants, these data confirm that our updated Covid-19 vaccine will continue to be an important tool for protection as we head into the fall vaccination season,” Moderna president Stephen Hoge said in a statement.

While Pfizer has yet to announce any clinical data, it previously told Endpoints News that in studies with mice, “our updated monovalent XBB 1.5 vaccine effectively neutralized a number of Omicron XBB variants, including XBB.1.5 and EG.5.1.”

Moderna added it has shared the data with regulators and is ready to supply its updated Covid-19 vaccine pending regulatory approval.

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