Pfizer coronavirus vaccine 'effective' against Brazil's variant, says study

Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 mRNA vaccine was found to be effective in neutralising the Brazilian variant of SARS-CoV-2 dubbed P.1 lineage, researchers found in a clinical trial. Scientists engineered mutations of the more virulent P.1 variant first detected in Brazil in the private lab, and performed the neutralization testing with Pfizer’s BNT162b2 is a nucleoside-modified mRNA vaccine. It was found that the efficacy of the Pfizer jab in neutralising the  highly contagious P.1 variant was similar to vaccine’s immunity mechanism on the previously detected less contagious mutant of coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. The findings, published on March 8 in the New England Journal of Medicine, revealed that approximately 2 or 4 weeks after the administration of the second dose of Pfizer’s BNT162b2 vaccine, the coronavirus mutant drastically reduced in its severity. 

“COVID-19 vaccine efficiently neutralized all the viruses with variant spikes,” the scientists in the study claimed. “Neutralization of B.1.1.7 spike [South African variant] and P.1-spike [Brazilian variant] viruses was roughly equivalent,” the study revealed.

Testing 'booster vaccine'

Scientists from the University of Texas Medical Branch found that the Pfizer vaccine produced robust anti bodies that had an strong immunisation impact on the human cells. Meanwhile, the Pharma company also revealed in a separate release that it was testing the booster vaccine and has begun an evaluation of the safety and immunogenicity of a third dose of its COVID-19 vaccine (BNT162b2). The evaluation will involve administering 30 µg booster of the current vaccine to the participants 6 to 12 months after receiving they receive the initial two-dose regimen, Pfizer informed. 

“While we have not seen any evidence that the circulating variants result in a loss of protection provided by our vaccine, we are taking multiple steps to act decisively and be ready in case a strain becomes resistant to the protection afforded by the vaccine."

"This booster study is critical to understanding the safety of a third dose and immunity against circulating strains,” said Albert Bourla, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Pfizer. 

Furthermore, Pfizer and BioNTech are in ongoing discussions with regulatory authorities, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency, to prepare for the potential future strain mutations. The pharmaceutical company was planning to start registration for clinical studies to evaluate a variant-specific vaccine. “This could position the Companies to update the current vaccine quickly if the need arises to protect against COVID-19 from circulating strains,” Pfizer said in the press release. 

(Image Credit: The Associated Press)