Pfizer said it will be able to manufacture and distribute an updated version of its COVID-19 vaccine within 100 days if the new variant Omicron is found to be resistant to its current vaccine.
Scientists first detected the new variant in South Africa. It has since spread to several other countries, including Israel and Belgium, prompting a spate of travel restrictions across Europe, Asia, and North America, Insider’s Aria Bendix reported. A health official said on Saturday that two cases of the variant have been detected in the UK.
The variant itself has multiple mutations that might make it easier for it to evade antibodies that developed in the body after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. The mutations might also cause the variant to spread easily — even among vaccinated people.
The World Health Organization has labeled Omicron a “variant of concern,” a distinction given to the most threatening coronavirus variants. Delta, the variant that surged all throughout the summer in the US, was the last one to receive the label.
It’s not clear yet whether existing COVID-19 vaccines will protect against the variant. But vaccine manufacturers like Pfizer are already considering their options.
“Pfizer and BioNTech have taken actions months ago to be able to adapt the mRNA vaccine within six weeks and ship initial batches within 100 days in the event of an escape variant,” the company said in a statement.
Pfizer expects to know within two weeks whether the variant is resistant to its current vaccine, a company spokesperson told Reuters.
“We expect more data from the laboratory tests in two weeks at the latest. These data will provide more information about whether B.1.1.529 could be an escape variant that may require an adjustment of our vaccine if the variant spreads globally,” the spokesperson said.
Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are also preparing to respond to the Omicron’s possible threat.
Moderna on Friday said it plans to test a variant-specific booster in the event that its current vaccine is found to be ineffective against the Omicron.
“From the beginning, we have said that as we seek to defeat the pandemic, it is imperative that we are proactive as the virus evolves. The mutations in the Omicron variant are concerning and for several days, we have been moving as fast as possible to execute our strategy to address this variant,” said Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel in a press release.
Johnson & Johnson is also testing the effectiveness of its vaccine against the Omicron variant.
News
What to know about BA.2 – the newest Covid Omicron variant
It's called the "stealth" variant, but there's nothing particularly stealthy about it. Researchers are working to parse whether it is a new threat. As coronavirus case numbers in the U.S. show early signs of [...]
New, better coronavirus rapid test
Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI and the University of Basel have developed a rapid test for COVID-19. Its novel functional principle promises reliable and quantifiable results concerning a patient's COVID-19 disease and [...]
Bio-Inspired Nanocoating Improves NIR and Biomedical Properties of Titanium Alloy
A group of researchers proposed an optimized electroforming strategy to achieve a bioinspired nano-holed TiO2 coated Ti6Al4V alloy, according to a study published in the journal ACS Applied Material Interfaces. Near-infrared (NIR) energy plays a critical part [...]
Seeking a hydrophilic nanoparticle solution to antibiotic resistance
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 2.8 million Americans experience antibiotic-resistant infections each year; more than 35,000 die from those infections. To address this critical and worldwide public health [...]
Nano-sized vesicles with ACE2 receptor could prevent, treat infection of SARS-CoV-2
Scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Northwestern Medicine have identified natural extracellular vesicles containing the ACE2 protein (evACE2) in the blood of COVID-19 patients that can block infection from [...]
‘Superpower’ nano bubbles could treat, prevent current and future strains of SARS-CoV-2
Scientists at Northwestern Medicine and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have identified natural nano-bubbles containing the ACE2 protein (evACE2) in the blood of COVID-19 patients and discovered these nano-sized particles can [...]
Groundbreaking AI Technology Diagnoses COVID-19 In Minutes
Pioneering Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, developed by experts at University of the West of Scotland (UWS), is capable of accurately diagnosing Covid-19 in just a few minutes. The groundbreaking program is able to detect [...]
Antimicrobial resistance now a leading cause of death worldwide, study finds
Antimicrobial resistance poses a significant threat to humanity, health leaders have warned, as a study reveals it has become a leading cause of death worldwide and is killing about 3,500 people every day. More [...]
Evaluating Antiviral Activities of Nanoparticles Could Help Prevent Future Pandemics
The Necessity of Novel Antiviral Materials With the severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) being highly infectious and transmissible, the need for novel antiviral materials that can decrease viral activities has become paramount. Preparation procedures [...]
Nanocarrier therapy offers new hope for the treatment of Type 1 diabetes
Individuals living with Type 1 diabetes must carefully follow prescribed insulin regimens every day, receiving injections of the hormone via syringe, insulin pump or some other device. And without viable long-term treatments, this course [...]
Nanobubbles provide pathway to build better medical devices
Researchers from the University of Sydney Nano Institute and School of Chemistry have revealed that tiny gas bubbles – nanobubbles just 100 billionths of a metre high – form on surfaces in unexpected situations, [...]
Nanocomposite Hydrogel Improves Bone Repair Treatment
Innovative researchers have investigated the potential of incorporating a gelatin methacryloyl hydrogel functionalized with synthetic nanoclay laponite to improve the delivery of osteoblast derived extracellular vesicles for increased bone repair. This research has been [...]
Bioengineered nanoparticles show promise for fibrinogen manufacture
A couple of essential biomolecules play a key role in the process of blood clotting. One of these is a protein called fibrinogen. It is often given to those who have experienced heavy bleeding, [...]
Applying Nanoemulsions to the Food Sector
Nanoemulsions are a relatively new technology that has found significant use for delivering functional chemicals such as micronutrients, flavorings, bioactive molecules, and antimicrobial agents into food and beverage products. This article focuses on applying [...]
Researchers develop new method to increase effectiveness of nanomedicines
Researchers at Penn Medicine have discovered a new, more effective method of preventing the body's own proteins from treating nanomedicines like foreign invaders, by covering the nanoparticles with a coating to suppress the immune [...]
Researchers Create Nanobombs Capable of Attacking Only the Cancer Cells
Bioinspired by tunicates and mussels, a Korean research team has created a “bomb-like” anticancer therapeutic agent that only destroys cancer cells. Schematic diagram of the mechanism of action of photoactivatable adhesive nanobombs made with [...]
