Moderna’s new Covid booster triggered a stronger immune response against omicron BA.5 and also appears to work against the emerging BQ.1.1 subvariant, according to the company.
Moderna, in clinical trial data published Monday, found that the new booster triggered five times more antibodies against omicron BA.5 than the old vaccines in people with prior Covid infections. The boosters triggered more than six times more antibodies against BA.5 in people without prior infections.
The study examined 500 people ages 19 to 89 who received the new booster. It is the first human data Moderna has released on the boosters.
Moderna said it also found the new booster triggered robust immune response against omicron BQ.1.1, an emerging Covid subvariant in the U.S. However, the response was not as strong against BQ.1.1 compared to BA.5. The antibody levels were about five times lower against BQ.1.1.
The Food and Drug Administration asked Moderna and Pfizer to develop the boosters against omicron BA.5 over the summer when it was dominant. But other omicron subvariants are pushing out BA.5 just couple months after U.S. health regulators cleared the boosters.
