The director of Moderna says the surprising number of mutations in the omicron shows the need for new photos
The pursuit of a second-generation Covid vaccine, including shots that could provide broader protection against a range of emerging coronavirus variants, is intensifying in the face of the threat from omicron.
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, a group working to accelerate vaccine development, is expected to commit more funding soon, said Richard Hatchett, the organization’s chief executive. for researchers to focus on future Covid shots. CEPI, launched in 2017 with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and others, provided its first funding last month to developers of potential “anti-variant” photos under the $200 million program.
According to Hatchett, a former White House adviser, whether current vaccines remain effective against omicrons or not, it is important to invest in a variety of approaches, including vaccinations that can can target multiple versions of the pathogen in one shot, according to Hatchett, a former White House adviser. Research is also expanding beyond programs focusing on the particular mutant protein that coronaviruses use to invade human cells.
“We don’t know the boundaries of how far it can go and whether it can grow out of our vaccine, and not investing in a vaccine now to make it worse,” he said. Defending us against that possibility would be reckless,” he said. “It’s great that we have these vaccines, but we should be looking through research and development to improve them.”
Scientists must answer an important question of how well the Covid vaccine will work against the omicron variant. Pfizer Inc. Hopefully its efforts will combat the stress, one executive said, and the data will be available within two to three weeks. Meanwhile, the CEO of Moderna Inc., Stephane Bancel, said the surprising number of mutations in omicrons shows that new injections are needed to prevent infection.
“While it’s possible that omicrons aren’t much of a threat, they could be the next,” Hatchett said. “We should use this real-world experience to see how far and how fast we can do this.”
A polyvalent influenza vaccine that targets three or four versions of the pathogen has provided protection against many strains of the bacteria globally. GlaxoSmithKline Plc and CureVac are aiming to develop a product that addresses multiple variants in a single Covid vaccine, based on mRNA technology.
CEPI has agreed to sponsor MigVax Ltd. of Israel to support the early development of an oral vaccine, and the University of Saskatchewan’s Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Foundation to promote research into vaccines known as protein subunits. The organization is also supporting researchers seeking to develop preparations against various coronaviruses.
Canadian researchers are focused on developing a vaccine that can be used in low- and middle-income countries, which have been lagged by wealthy governments in accessing vaccines. vaccination. They are starting mid-stage studies in Africa of unvaccinated people, and plan a booster study in Canada early next year, said Volker Gerdts, director of the vaccine organization. .
“This new variant is another example of the concern we all have,” he said. “The more unvaccinated people we have, the more breeding grounds for these new variants to emerge.”
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and was automatically generated from the feed provided.)
