Moderna has initiated its submission to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the evaluation of a booster dose of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine (mRNA-1273) at the 50 µg dose level. The company expects to submit data to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and other regulatory authorities around the world shortly.
“We are pleased to initiate the submission process for our booster candidate at the 50 µg dose with the FDA. Our submission is supported by data generated with the 50 µg dose of our Covid-19 vaccine, which shows robust antibody responses against the Delta variant,” said Stéphane Bancel, Chief Executive Officer of Moderna. “We remain committed to staying ahead of the virus and following the evolving epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2. We will continue to generate data and transparently share to support governments and regulators as they make evidence-based decisions regarding future vaccination strategies.”
The Phase II study of mRNA-1273 was amended to offer a booster dose of mRNA-1273 at the 50 µg dose level to interested participants six months following their second dose (n=344). Neutralising antibody titres had waned significantly prior to boosting at approximately six months. A booster dose of mRNA-1273 at the 50 µg dose level boosted neutralising titres significantly above the Phase III benchmark. After a third dose, a similar level of neutralising titres was achieved across age groups, notably in older adults (ages 65 and above). The safety profile following the third dose was similar to that observed previously for the second dose of mRNA-1273. These data will be submitted to a peer-reviewed publication.
An additional analysis showed that a booster dose of mRNA-1273 at the 50 µg dose level induced robust antibody responses and significantly increased geometric mean titres (GMT) for all variants of concern including Beta (B.1.351) by 32- fold, Gamma (P.1) by 43.6-fold and Delta (B.1.617.2) by 42.3-fold.
