Moderna Inc. (NASDAQ: MRNA) plans to test the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccine booster shots a year after the initial doses of the vaccine were administered to an individual, CNBC reported Thursday.
What happened: The biotechnology company expects to participate in the adult stage study in July, its CEO, Stéphane Bancel, announced in a corporate presentation at the 39th JP Morgan Healthcare Conference on Monday.
Tal Zaks, chief medical officer of Moderna, said at the conference that the company expects the immunity caused by the vaccine to last at least a year, reports CNBC. Zaks added that Moderna would make a ‘data-based recommendation’ on the extent to which snapshots would be needed.
The first participants in the Modern COVID-19 vaccine trial received their shots in March, CNBC noted. Those who received less than the dose of 100 micrograms that were eventually approved by the Food and Drug Administration will receive their shot increase shot earlier than one year, while those who received shots of 100 micrograms or more will receive the booster dose at one year point. .
See also: FDA warns against poisoning with Pfizer, Modern vaccines after comments from White House adviser
Why it matters: Modern COVID-19 vaccine received FDA authorization for emergency use in December and is the only such authorized vaccine except currently Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) and BioNTech SE (NASDAQ: BNTX) candidate.
Medical experts are investigating how long the neutralizing antibodies generated by COVID-19 vaccines will last.
Preliminary analysis in a relatively small study by the New England Journal of Medicine suggested that immunization for some in the elderly population may take less than a year, as reported by Forbes.
Bancel said earlier this month that Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine could provide protection for several years, but more information is needed to make a definitive statement, as reported by Reuters.
Price action: Moderna shares closed 4.5% higher at $ 129.72 on Thursday. The stock added another 0.6% in the after-hours session.
See also: Modern works with Uber on COVID-19 vaccination: what you need to know
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