COVID-19 vaccine makers slide even as FDA eyes second booster shot
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Despite a potential U.S. rollout of a second booster shot in the fall, the developers of COVID-19 vaccines are on the decline Tuesday, coinciding with the general market selloff triggered by geopolitical tensions.
Over the weekend, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Food and Drug Administration has started reviewing the data to authorize a potential fourth COVID-19 shot in the fall.
The second booster shot is aimed at restoring the waning immune defenses after the first booster shot and lowering the risk of symptomatic and severe disease, The Journal said, citing people familiar with the matter.
The FDA is looking into authorizing a second booster shot of vaccines developed by Pfizer (PFE
-1.0%)/ BioNTech (BNTX
-4.7%) and Moderna (MRNA
-0.6%), one of the people said.
Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) as well as Pfizer (NYSE:PFE)/ BioNTech (NASDAQ:BNTX) are in the red currently, along with Johnson & Johnson (JNJ
-0.7%), the maker of the other U.S.-authorized COVID-19 shot. Novavax (NVAX
-4.1%) is also on the decline despite the positive comments from the companyâs chief executive over the weekend on the timeline of a potential U.S. regulatory nod for its COVID-19 vaccine candidate.
Questions on whether the additional booster shot should target the Omicron variant or should comprise a different formulation and the age requirement for the vaccine are said to be among some of the outstanding issues on the authorization.
As many tend to get their annual flu shots in the fall, a booster shot rollout during that time will be feasible for its acceptance, according to another person.
About 65% of Americans are currently fully vaccinated with Pfizer (PFE)/ BioNTech (BNTX), Moderna (MRNA), or Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) vaccines, according to the data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). About 43% of them have got a booster shot.
In January, Moderna (MRNA) announced the enrollment of the first participant in its Phase 2 trial for an Omicron-specific booster shot. A day earlier, Pfizer (PFE)/ BioNTech (BNTX) disclosed the beginning of dosing in a trial for an Omicron-targeting vaccine candidate.