New variants of the novel coronavirus have raised a key question: Will the existing COVID-19 vaccines be as effective against them? But preliminary data from scientists shows that may not be true, at least for the Pfizer and BioNTech view.
Researchers from the University of Texas and Pfizer, in lab vessels, found that the vaccine was able to neutralize an engineered version of a variant, called N501Y mutation in its spike protein. The result was published in bioRxiv and was not studied by peers.
Types of coronavirus with this trend were first discovered in the UK and South Africa and received immediate global attention because they are more contagious.
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Currently available COVID vaccines – including Pfizer and BioNTech’s Comirnaty, or BNT162b2 – target the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, the coronavirus behind COVID-19. M5 NY mutations improve the ability of the virus’s spike protein to bind to its receptor on human cells, making it easier to access for infection.
To find out if Comirnaty worked against the bacterium, the scientists collected antibodies from 20 vaccine test participants and compared their ability to kill the engineered virus with N501Y mutation to their potential. They neutralized the pressure on which Pfizer and BioNTech based Comirnaty was based.
The antibodies cleared the virus at equal concentrations, indicating no decrease in neutralization activity, the researchers said.
BioNTech CEO Ugur Sahin had previously said that Comirnaty would be “very likely” to work against the variant – and even if studies confirmed otherwise, the company would be able to turn a new vaccine candidate based on the variant. the six weeks, he said in a press conference on December. 22.
Previously, Comirnaty – which is designed to stimulate different types of antibodies to attack the virus – has been shown to be 95% effective in preventing COVID-19.
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While the latest study provides scientific evidence to support Sahin’s optimism, there are others in terms of mutations alongside N501Y. For example, the new SARS-CoV-2 variant found in South Africa also carries E484K mutation in the spike protein.
Based on antibodies given from people previously with SARS-CoV-2, scientists at the Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center recently identified that mutations may induce “a significant reduction in vulnerability to neutralization ”with antibodies in some people.
In a statement Friday, Pfizer and BioNTech stressed the need for more data to test the effectiveness of their vaccine in new viral changes but expressed confidence that they could make any necessary tweaks.
“If the virus changes such that the vaccine needs to be updated to continue providing protection against COVID-19, we believe the flexibility of BioNTech’s proprietary mRNA vaccine platform is very appropriate. to enable vaccination modification, “he said.