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What happened
Actions of Modern (NASDAQ: mRNA) It rose 8.3% Thursday after biotech said it dosed the first participants in a study evaluating its new coronavirus booster vaccine candidates.
So what
Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine is believed to offer some protection against all the most common coronavirus variants, including strains first identified in the UK and South Africa. However, biotechnology is testing whether a booster dose could provide even more protection, particularly to people who are more vulnerable to severe forms of the disease.
Moderna’s stock price rose sharply Thursday on optimism about its booster shots. Image source: Getty Images.
To do so, it will provide a single booster dose to 60 participants in its ongoing phase 2 study who have already been vaccinated with its COVID-19 vaccine, mRNA-1273. Some participants will receive a variant-specific booster candidate targeting the South African strain, while others will receive a dose combining the booster with Moderna’s previously licensed vaccine.
Now what
If booster vaccines are safe and provide an additional layer of protection against variants of the coronavirus, they could become an important weapon in the global battle against COVID-19. In the process, they would also give Moderna a significant new source of recurring income, particularly if the booster injections are needed annually or every six months.
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