AstraZeneca
says early trial data indicates third dose helps against Omicron
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[January 13, 2022]
By Pushkala Aripaka and Ludwig Burger
(Reuters) -AstraZeneca said on Thursday
that preliminary data from a trial showed that its COVID-19 shot,
Vaxzevria, generated an increase in antibodies against the Omicron and
other variants when given as a third booster dose.
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The increased response, also against the Delta variant, was seen in
a blood analysis of people who were previously vaccinated with
either Vaxzevria or an mRNA vaccine, the drugmaker said, adding that
it would submit this data to regulators worldwide given the urgent
need
https://www.reuters.com/business
/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/why-you-should-still-try-avoid-catching-omicron-2022-01-12
for boosters.
AstraZeneca has developed the vaccine with researchers from the
University of Oxford, and lab studies conducted by the university
last month
https://www.reuters.com/business/
healthcare-pharmaceuticals/astrazeneca-shot-third-dose-works-against-omicron-study-2021-12-23
already found a three-dose course of Vaxzevria boosted antibody
levels in the blood against the rapidly spreading Omicron variant.
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The brief statement on Thursday, which did not include specific
data, was the first by AstraZeneca on the protective potential of
Vaxzevria as a booster shot following a two shot-course of either an
mRNA based vaccine or Vaxzevria. Vaccines base on mRNA technology
are made by BioNTech-Pfizer and Moderna.
The company said the findings "add to the growing body of evidence
supporting Vaxzevria as a third dose booster irrespective of the
primary vaccination schedules tested".
The data on Vaxzevria's potential as a booster came from a
comparative analysis in a trial testing a redesigned vaccine which
uses the vector technology behind Vaxzevria but targeting the
now-superseded Beta variant. AstraZeneca is trying to show the
Beta-specific vaccine has potential also against other variants and
more trial data is expected during the first half of the year.
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![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2022/Jan/13/images/ads/current/chicagost_lda_LUAL_2021.png) Separately, Oxford University
and AstraZeneca last month started work on a
vaccine specifically targeting Omicron though
Astra - as well as other vaccine makers in
similar development projects - have said it was
not yet clear whether such an upgrade was
needed. A major British trial in
December found that AstraZeneca's shot increased antibodies when
given as a booster after initial vaccination with its own shot or
Pfizer's, but that was before the explosive spread of the Omicron
variant.
However, the study at the time concluded that mRNA vaccines made by
Pfizer and Moderna gave a biggest boost to antibodies when given as
a third dose.
AstraZeneca and its contract manufacturing partners have supplied
over 2.5 billion doses globally of its vaccine, even though it is
not approved in the United States, while BioNTech-Pfizer have
shipped about 2.6 billion doses.
(Reporting by Pushkala Aripaka in Bengaluru and Ludwig Burger in
Frankfurt; editing by Subhranshu Sahu and Raissa Kasolowsky)
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