A small number of approved COVID-19 vaccines have now begun to be distributed around the world. To shine a light on the major candidates, as well as updated efficacy information and an outlook on the mutated variations, Third Bridge Forum spoke to a C-level executive from Replicate Bioscience Inc regarding the COVID vaccine updates.
The conversation started with the specialist’s comparative assessment of vaccine candidates. They noted that there was a “pleasant surprise” in newer durability data from approved COVID vaccines, Moderna and Pfizer.
“While you had some decay in antibodies, it was not as quickly as the decay you had seen in some of the previous targets, such as influenza, and it was reasonably high. It seemed that it might be decaying on some of the older populations a little bit faster, and some of the younger populations, and it’s an open question on how long it will ultimately last, but I think it’s very positive so far that it’s as high as it is after three months.”
How neutralising antibody tests are run, which companies of approved Covid vaccines are using a different assessment method from the majority, and how this affects test results, were also discussed. Although the T-cell response may not be the most important indicator, “what we do know from some of the clinical literature out there, however, is that T-cell responses have been associated with protecting patients who do get COVID, and those who had some pre-existing responses had less severe outcomes when it came to the actual development of clinical COVID-19.”
COVID vaccine updates on any known risks
The specialist was also asked about the risks, unknowns, and limitations of the various candidate types, including mRNA and adenoviruses. While he believes that they will all be able to offer protection against the mutated variations of coronavirus, “all of the traditional platforms, whether they’re virally derived or some of the adjuvanted proteins, will have better durability than mRNA.”
To access all the human insights from Third Bridge Forum’s Interview, COVID vaccine updates – Moderna, AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNtech & Johnson & Johnson, click here to view the full transcript.
The information used in compiling this document has been obtained by Third Bridge from experts participating in Forum Interviews. Third Bridge does not warrant the accuracy of the information and has not independently verified it. It should not be regarded as a trade recommendation or form the basis of any investment decision.
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