Moderna on Tuesday said a new version of its Covid vaccine triggered a stronger immune response against the virus than its current shot in a late-stage trial.
The results come as Moderna competes with rival Pfizer for more share of the Covid vaccine market and tries to diversify its revenue streams after the world saw a plunge in demand for Covid products last year. Moderna’s current Covid vaccine, known as Spikevax, is its only commercially available product.
The biotech company’s new shot could offer a longer shelf life and easier storage than its Covid vaccine.
Moderna’s new shot is designed to last longer when refrigerated. That could make the jab easier to distribute around the world, especially in developing countries that may not have freezer capabilities. The company will accomplish that by shortening the length of the mRNA strand in the vaccine, Moderna previously told CNBC.
The new shot is also a “critical component” of Moderna’s combination vaccine targeting Covid and the flu, the company said in a release. Both Moderna and Pfizer have said that the convenience of receiving protection against two viruses at once could encourage more people to get vaccinated against Covid.
The phase three trial followed roughly 11,400 people ages 12 and older in the U.S., U.K. and Canada.
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