Pfizer and BioNTech have said a laboratory test has shown that three doses of their Covid-19 vaccine, Comirnaty, can neutralise the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. An assessment showed that sera from individuals who received the third dose a month ago neutralised the Omicron variant to levels seen for the wild-type SARS-CoV-2 spike protein after two doses. At the same time, two doses of the vaccine resulted in lower neutralising antibodies, indicating that a booster shot is necessary to prevent infection.
French biotech company Valneva has signed an advance purchase agreement to supply one million doses of its inactivated Covid-19 vaccine candidate VLA2001 to Bahrain. The move comes as the company commences a rolling submission process with the National Health Regulatory Authority in the country. Last month, Valneva signed a similar agreement with European Commission to deliver up to 60 million doses of VLA2001.
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The National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) of China has approved Brii Biosciences’ monoclonal neutralising antibody therapy for Covid-19. The amubarvimab/romlusevimab combination was approved for treating at-risk adults and minors aged 12-17, weighing at least 40kg and suffering from mild to moderate Covid-19. The NMPA approval comes after the company reported positive results from a study with 847 enrolled outpatients. Brii Bio has also filed emergency use authorisation for the combination in the US.
