Moderna hopes to get a boost shot this fall for its two-dose Covid vaccine, CEO Stephane Bancel told CNBC on Wednesday.
“I want to make sure there are boosters available in the fall so that we can protect people in the next fall and winter season in the US,” Bancel said in an interview on Squawk Box.
Last month, the National Institutes of Health began testing a range of Moderna offerings to use as a third survey designed to boost immunity protection as concerns about emerging variants grow – including the first was discovered in South Africa, also known as the B.1.351 variant.
The Food and Drug Administration’s approach to authorizing custom Covid vaccines is similar to that of annual flu vaccines, meaning it can be cleared for emergency use without lengthy clinical trials.
The Massachusetts-based Moderna hopes to submit data to regulators within a few months, Bancel added. “Our goal is to work really hard to get it right before the fall,” he repeated.
Bancel’s comments come one day after Moderna announced that the existing vaccine was more than 90% effective in protecting Covid up to six months after the second dose. It was more than 95% effective against serious diseases within the same time period, the biotechnology firm said in its update that it could be closer to obtaining regulatory approval.
There are currently 453 reported cases regarding the B.1.351 variant, according to data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. This variant particularly concerned health experts. It has been shown to reduce the effectiveness of existing Covid vaccines, including Moderna.
Bancel reiterated on Wednesday that he believes the annual Covid vaccine boosters will henceforth be commonplace, saying the coronavirus ‘does not disappear’ and that it ‘does not leave the planet’.
“I expect in the next year or so, we are going to see a lot of variants. But as more and more people get vaccinated or become infected naturally, the rate of the variant will slow down and the virus will stabilize. As you can see with flu,” he said. Bancel said.
Eventually, he added, Moderna hopes he can have a two-in-one vaccine that protects against seasonal flu and Covid. The company announced its intentions to make a flu vaccine in September.
‘What we’re really trying to do at Moderna is to get a flu vaccine in the clinic this year and then combine our flu vaccine with our Covid vaccine, so you only need one boost at your local CVS store get … every year that would protect you from the variant of concern against Covid and the seasonal flu strain, ‘Bancel said.
“We believe we can achieve a high-effectiveness flu vaccine,” he added. According to a CDC, current flu vaccines are about 40-60% effective.
Bancel also weighed in on U.S. regulators recommending Tuesday that states stop interrupting the use of Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot Covid vaccine after concerns arose about rare but serious blood clots developing in recipients.
The move shows that “the FDA will not hesitate to analyze the data, to take the necessary time to protect the security of the American people,” he said, arguing that the way regulators handle the J&J situation . would reduce the hesitation of the vaccine, not increase it.