GSK and Sanofi have reported positive efficacy data from a co-developed vaccine targeting the Omicron variant of Covid-19.
The report makes GSK and Sanofi the first companies to have a vaccine candidate for the Omicron variant which has demonstrated efficacy.
Specifically, the companies’ B.1.351 vaccine candidate demonstrated 64.7% efficacy in symptomatic Covid-19 adults and 72% efficacy in Omicron-confirmed symptomatic cases.
These data come from Stage 2 of the Phase 3 Covid-19 vaccine trial VAT08 which includes over 13,000 participants. B.1.351 is an adjuvanted bivalent D614 and Beta vaccine candidate.
In Omicron-confirmed symptomatic cases, B.1.351 demonstrated an overall efficacy of 72%. More so, in previously reported seropositive populations – people with detectable antibodies – the Sanofi-GSK vaccine candidate demonstrated an efficacy of 75.1% against symptomatic infection, and 93.2% in Omicron confirmed symptomatic cases.
Earlier this year, Sanofi reported positive data from two trials conducted with its new Covid-19 booster vaccine candidate modelled on the Beta variant antigen and including GSK’s pandemic adjuvant.
The companies hope that the data now strongly reflects the potential of their Beta-based booster as a response to any relevant health programmes.
Official comments
Thomas Triomphe, Executive Vice President Vaccines, Sanofi, said: “Today’s results reinforce the strong potential for the Beta antigen to confer broad protection against multiple strains that cause COVID-19. With the immunogenicity data from our Beta-booster vaccine, they support our belief that, in a largely seropositive world, a next-generation Beta booster vaccine could provide protection against variants like Omicron. mRNA has proven speed to market; we are demonstrating here the efficacy that our recombinant protein platform can provide to the world. We look forward to completing our submissions to regulatory authorities and are ready to contribute to ongoing vaccination campaigns with our next-generation booster.”
Roger Connor, President of GSK Vaccines, said: “These positive data show efficacy of our protein-based, bivalent adjuvanted vaccine candidate in an environment of high Omicron variant circulation. Our vaccine candidate has the potential to make an important contribution to public health as the pandemic evolves further. We are looking forward to the discussions with regulatory authorities with the aim of making our vaccine candidate available later this year.”
