Aug. 5 (UPI) -- Biotechnology company Moderna said in a report Thursday that booster shots of its COVID-19 vaccine appear to be effective against the Delta variant, and that it's two-dose vaccine regimen is effective for at least several months.
Moderna, one of three companies that have a coronavirus vaccine in the United States, announced the details in its second-quarter earnings report.
As for the two-dose vaccine, the company said a final examination of its Phase 3 clinical study showed that the shot remained 93% effective in volunteers six months after the second dose.
By comparison, studies showed that the efficacy of the vaccine produced by Pfizer and BioNTech dipped to about 84% six months after the second dose.
Related
Moderna also announced that new booster shots in development created a "robust antibody response" against the Delta variant among volunteers in a Phase 2 study. The study included 30,000 volunteers and began a year ago.
Vaccinated volunteers were given a 50-microgram dose of three booster candidates.
In fact, the studies showed that the boosters also appeared to provoke the antibody response against the Beta and Gamma variants and the wildtype D614G COVID-19 strain.
Moderna said the results of the booster study have been submitted to a medical journal for peer review.
"I am proud of the progress our teams at Moderna have made in the past quarter ... while addressing a global pandemic," Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said in a statement.
"We are pleased that our COVID-19 vaccine is showing durable efficacy of 93% through six months, but recognize that the Delta variant is a significant new threat so we must remain vigilant."
The company said it's filed for full approval for its vaccine from the Food and Drug Administration, and said it expects the application process will be finished by the end of this month.
Moderna also noted that it's completed enrollment for a first-stage study of its "next-generation COVID-19 vaccine." The company said that vaccine aims to be more refrigerator-stable than its original formulation, which must be stored and shipped at freezing temperatures.
Moderna also noted in its report total revenues of $4.4 billion in the second quarter and a net income of $2.8 billion.
