Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine appears to protect against U.K. and South African COVID-19 strains in lab, study finds
European Union doubles coronavirus vaccine order from Pfizer–BioNTech
The Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine appears to work against a key mutation in the new variants of the coronavirus discovered in the U.K. and South Africa, a preliminary study finds.
RONNY HARTMANN/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES- Email icon
- Facebook icon
- Twitter icon
- Linkedin icon
- Flipboard icon
- Print icon
- Resize icon
The COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech appears to provide protection against the new highly contagious U.K. and South African variants, according to a preliminary study conducted in a laboratory.
The research, conducted by scientists from U.S. drug company Pfizer Inc. PFE, +1.00%, its German partner BioNTech SE 0A3M, +4.80% and the University of Texas Medical Branch, indicated that antibodies in people who had received their vaccine were effective in neutralizing a key mutation shared by the two highly transmissible strains.
The study, which was published Thursday on preprint server bioRxiv, hasn’t yet been peer reviewed.
The scientists cautioned that the findings were limited as they didn’t look at the full set of spike mutations in the new strains but were “encouraged” by the results focused on the key N501Y mutation. They added that the vaccine appeared effective against the new mutation as well as 15 other mutations previously tested.
“We’ve now tested 16 different mutations, and none of them have really had any significant impact. That’s the good news,” said Philip Dormitzer, one of Pfizer’s top viral-vaccine scientists, in a report by Reuters. “That doesn’t mean that the 17th won’t.”
BioNTech BNTX, +6.14% said in a statement Friday that the company would be able to adjust the vaccine if the virus were to mutate to the extent that it needed to be updated to provide protection
选择“Disable on www.wenxuecity.com”
选择“don't run on pages on this domain”
