Johnson & Johnson Says Booster Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine Generates Strong Immune Response

Video source: YouTube, CNN

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:  JNJ ) said a booster shot of its single-dose COVID-19 vaccine generated a promising immune response among participants in early-stage clinical trials.

In a press release Wednesday, the pharmaceutical company said that trial participants who received a booster shot had a “nine-fold” increase of virus-fighting antibodies compared to what was observed four weeks after the initial dose.

J&J provided few details on the ongoing trials but said participants ranged from ages 18 to 55 as well as 65 and older. The interim data has also not yet been peer reviewed.

In a statement, Dr. Mathai Mammen, head of research and development at J&J’s Janssen Research & Development unit, said, “We have established that a single shot of our COVID-19 vaccine generates strong and robust immune responses that are durable and persistent through eight months.”

“With these new data, we also see that a booster dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine further increases antibody responses among study participants who had previously received our vaccine.”

Earlier this month, federal health officials unveiled a plan to start offering booster shots next month to all Americans who received vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna. New data showed that the effectiveness of mRNA vaccines wanes over time.

Officials said that while all COVID-19 vaccines remain effective in preventing severe infection or death, recent studies have shown those who are fully vaccinated are still susceptible to mild cases of the virus eight months after vaccination.

On Wednesday, J&J said it was in discussions with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), European Medicines Agency (EMA), World Health Organization (WHO) and other health authorities about the need for offering a booster dose.

The CDC has previously said J&J recipients will probably need a booster dose but that it does not have enough data to formally recommend it at this time. 

J&J’s COVID-19 vaccine was granted emergency use authorization by the FDA in late February, and about 14 million Americans have received the shot, according to the CDC.

On Monday, the FDA approved Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine for individuals 16 and older, making it the first COVID-19 shot to receive full licensure from the federal government.

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Source: Equities News