Pfizer Inc. PFE,
and BioNTech SE BNTX,
said late Wednesday its COVID-19 vaccine provided protection against the South African version of the novel coranovirus in a laboratory study. The study, conducted by Pfizer and the Medical Branch of the University of Texas and not conducted in humans, examined the full set of South African variable spike seals. The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine. “There is no clinical evidence to date that the South African variant virus is escaping” vaccine protection from COVID-19, the companies said. “Nevertheless, Pfizer and BioNTech are taking the necessary steps, making the right investments, and engaging in the appropriate discussions with regulators to be in a position to obtain approval for an updated mRNA vaccine. or a one-time strain increase that greatly reduces the protection. from the vaccine. “The companies are currently evaluating how the vaccine would work against Brazilian mutations and other emerging mutations, they said.