Pfizer / BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine neutralizes Brazilian variant in lab study

NEW YORK (Reuters) – The COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE was able to neutralize a new variant of the coronavirus spreading rapidly in Brazil, according to a laboratory study published Monday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Blood taken from people who had received the vaccine neutralized an artificial version of the virus that contained the same mutations carried on the peak part of the highly contagious P.1 variant first identified in Brazil, the study conducted by scientists companies and The medical branch of the University of Texas was found.

Scientists said the neutralizing ability was roughly equivalent to the vaccine’s effect on an earlier, less contagious version of the virus from last year.

The peak, used by the virus to enter human cells, is the primary target of many COVID-19 vaccines.

In previously published studies, Pfizer had found that its vaccine neutralized other more contagious variants first identified in the UK and South Africa, although the South African variant may reduce the protective antibodies caused by the vaccine. .

Pfizer said he believes his current vaccine is very likely to still protect against the South African variant. However, the manufacturer plans to test a third booster dose of its vaccine as well as a re-equipped version specifically to fight the variant in order to better understand the immune response.