Dec. 20 (UPI) -- Booster doses of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine significantly increase the number of disease-fighting antibodies against the Omicron variant compared to vaccinated persons who have yet to receive an extra dose, the company announced Monday.
Moderna said that according to data, a 50-microgram booster dose increases antibody levels 37-fold and a larger booster dose, 100 micrograms, increases production 83-fold.
The new data is preliminary, the company said, but encouraging -- particularly with the Omicron variant responsible for surges in cases worldwide.
"The dramatic increase in COVID-19 cases from the Omicron variant is concerning to all. However, these data showing that the currently authorized Moderna COVID-19 booster can boost neutralizing antibody levels 37-fold higher than pre-boost levels are reassuring," Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said in a statement.
"To respond to this highly transmissible variant, Moderna will continue to rapidly advance an Omicron-specific booster candidate into clinical testing in case it becomes necessary in the future."
Moderna said the new data came from volunteers who received one the two booster strengths and they were assessed against the Omicron variant in a laboratory setting.
The company added that, based on the quick emergence of Omicron and the "complexities" of developing a new vaccine for it, there will be ongoing development for "near-term efforts" to address the new mutation.
Scientists are still studying how Omicron behaves, but most believe that it spreads more easily than other variants, such as Delta. So far, however, they say that the available data indicates that it is more likely to produce less-severe cases of COVID-19.
About a third of vaccinated Americans have so far received a booster dose, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC and Food and Drug Administration have approved booster doses for Moderna's vaccine for all adults at least six months after they received the second dose.
President Joe Biden will meet on Monday with his White House Coronavirus Response Team to be briefed by health officials on the latest Omicron developments. He is scheduled to address the nation on Tuesday to update Americans on the federal strategy against the rising variant.