Covid, the study: “The Pfizer vaccine is less effective in the South African variant.” US company announces trials for two antiviral drugs

Studies continue to test already approved vaccines on coronavirus variants. A new analysis published in the trade journal Cell Host & Microbe noted that Pfizer-BioNtech’s vaccine to prevent Covid is less effective against the South African variant of the virus. Carried out in Israel, where the vaccination campaign was particularly rapid, the investigation has again confirmed the efficacy of this immunization against the original Sars-Cov-2 and against the British mutation. But protection against the combined South African and South African-English virus types appears very weak. “Our data highlights how modified vaccines will be needed to cope with future mutations, in fact, the virus varies precisely to increase its infectivity“The Ben-Gurion University team studied the immunological effects of the Pfizer vaccine against all variants discovered so far.

Meanwhile, Pfizer has announced the start of clinical trials on a new antiviral drug for the treatment of Covid-19. The compound, PF-07321332, is an orally administered protease enzyme inhibitor and in in vitro studies has shown “powerful activity” against pandemic coronavirus. “After promising initial preclinical data – the administrator writes in Twitter Delegate Albert Bourla: We are delighted to share the initiation of dosing in healthy adults, as part of a Phase 1 trial with the objective of evaluating the safety and tolerability of our new oral antiviral candidate against Sars-CoV-2 infections“The test is underway in the United States, explains Pfizer in a note. PF-07321332 and the results of the preclinical tests, the group reports, will be presented on April 6 in a session dedicated to Covid-19 during the Spring American Chemical Society meeting.

“We designed PF-07321332 as a potential oral therapy that could be prescribed at the first sign of infection, without requiring patients to be hospitalized or in intensive care,” said Mikael Dolsten, Pfizer chief scientific officer and president of research, development and physician. At the same time, Pfizer’s intravenous antiviral candidate, “another study drug,”is a possible new treatment option for inpatients. Together, the two antivirals have the potential to create a treatment paradigm that integrates vaccination in cases where the disease occurs. ” “Coping with the Covid-19 pandemic requires both prevention tools such as the vaccine and targeted treatment for those who contract the infection, Dolsten stresses, taking into account the way Sars-CoV-2 is changing and the continuing global impact. of Covid-19, it seems likely that it is essential to have access to treatment options both now and beyond the pandemic. “

The Cell Host & Microbe study