An NIH authored preprint concluded that an omicron-specific version of Moderna’s (NSDQ:MRNA) vaccine might not offer improved immunity or protection compared to the company’s current mRNA-1273 vaccine.
In a small study involving macaques, NIH researchers tested neutralizing antibody levels and B cell expansion in primates receiving mRNA-1273 and mRNA-1273.529, the updated vaccine.
The study involved a total of eight macaques who received two initial 100-μg doses of the mRNA-1273 vaccine. Nine months after the second dose, four primates received a dose of the existing vaccine, while the remaining four received the omicron-based version.
The study authors performed a challenge test, exposing the non-human primates to the omicron variant to gauge their immune response. The researchers ultimately concluded that both…