Moderna is set to begin the second stage of trials for its Omicron-specific Covid vaccine, the company announced Wednesday.
The Cambridge, Massachusetts, based firm administered a dose of its vaccine to the first participant of what is set to be a trial including around 600 people in 24 sites.
It also released data from its first trial of the vaccine, showing that recipients had significant antibody responses to the shot, but much of the protection waned after six months.
The announcement from Moderna, who produces the second most commonly used jab in the U.S., comes days after Pfizer, manufacturer of the most popular jab, announced it had begun a trial of its Omicron-specific jab.
Moderna has begun the second stage of trials for its Omicron specific Covid vaccine. The trial will include 600 participants, including 300 people who are boosted and 300 who are fully vaccinated but have not received the additional shot. The company expects the shot to be available by March 2022. Pictured: A woman in Merrillville, Indiana, receives a shot of a COVID-19 vaccine on January 11
Data from the first trial for Moderna's Omicron vaccine showed that it was effective at raising variant-fighting antibody levels to acceptable levels, but protection would diminish six months later
'We are reassured by the antibody persistence against Omicron at six months after the currently authorized [vaccine],' said Stéphane Bancel, CEO of Moderna, in a statement.
'Nonetheless, given the long-term threat demonstrated by Omicron's immune escape, we are advancing our Omicron-specific variant vaccine booster candidate and we are pleased to begin this part of our Phase 2 study.
'We are also evaluating whether to include this Omicron-specific candidate in our multivalent booster program.'
The trial participants will be separated into two groups. The first of which will include around 300 participants who initially received the two dose regimen of the Moderna shot at least six
