Covid variants are a brain-teaser for laboratories when it comes to vaccines – less and less effective as they break out… But this is far from being a problem for BioNTech! The German biotech stated through both founders Uğur Şahin and Özlem Türeci – in an interview with our peers from Les Echos – they are able to adapt their vaccine to the different strains of the virus to create a new one within 100 days.
They first remind the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is effective against all the existing variants: “Our vaccine delivers two protective layers. The first one is supplied by the neutralizing antibodies bounding to the virus and preventing it from penetrating one’s cells. This layer is crucial to prevent the infection. The second layer is supplied by the T cells, a very sophisticated protective layer”, Uğur Şahin explains. He goes on: “If the virus happens to penetrate cells and provoke infection, the different T lymphocytes could stop its spread and kill the infected cells to prevent severe disease”.
They also say a booster shot campaign could be required: “We know the level of antibodies decreases over time”, the searcher explains and continues: “our clinical trials have already shown a third injection is likely very useful because it enables to reinforce one’s immune system adding a very high number of antibodies and then protection against infection”.
This adaptability is made possible thanks to mRNA, as Özlem Türeci explains: “if it has to be adapted, it is technically easy with the mRNA technology and we have been able to experiment it hundreds of times in the cancer field. The idea is to replace in our vaccine the original virus’ Spike protein’s genetic code with the new variant’s”. Clinical trials are to start this August as for this new vaccine made ahead of time: “the first mRNA lot to test a vaccine fitted to this one has been already designed and made by our care for the clinical trials. It only took us a few weeks”, she adds.
Uğur Şahin concludes: “We enjoy a proven process enabling to enjoy a new vaccine within 100 days if it is really necessary. Yet, before a new vaccine against a new variant is widely available, it must be approved. This is not our decision to make. The decision must be made by the involved regulatory authorities and the governmental institutions”.
