Pfizer CEO unsure on need for fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine (updated)

Telesis Bio

10/01/2022 12:39

(Changes media packaging code to PFIZER-JPMORGANCONFERENCE,
adds comments from Pfizer CEO CNBC interview)
    Jan 10 (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc  PFE.N  Chief Executive
Officer Albert Bourla said on Monday he was unsure about the
need for a fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine and that a shot
targeting the highly contagious Omicron variant would be ready
in March.
    The comments contrasted with those made by Moderna Inc
 MRNA.O  CEO Stephen Bancel, who said last week people could
need another shot in the fall of 2022 as the efficacy of
boosters was likely to decline over the next few months.
    A huge Omicron-driven spike in COVID-19 cases has forced
some nations to look to another booster dose, but early signs
suggest repeat vaccination may be a hard sell as beleaguered
populations enter their third pandemic year.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2TN1R5
    "I don't know if there is a need for a fourth booster, that
is something that needs to be tested," Bourla said on CNBC,
ahead of Pfizer's presentation at the J.P. Morgan healthcare
conference.
    Work is ongoing on a new version of COVID-19 vaccine that
would be effective against Omicron and other variants, he said.
    The U.S. drugmaker earlier in the day announced three deals
to broaden the use of the messenger RNA technology (mRNA) that
its COVID-19 vaccine was based on, including a pact worth as
much as $1.35 billion with gene-editing specialist Beam
Therapeutics  BEAM.O .
    Pfizer has been looking to advance the development of
mRNA-based vaccines and therapeutics after it led global efforts
to develop a COVID-19 shot against the pandemic.
    The company will also collaborate with Codex DNA Inc
 DNAY.O  to leverage the biotech's proprietary technology, which
could enable more efficient development of mRNA-based vaccines,
therapeutics and other biopharma products.
    It deal with private biotech Acuitas Therapeutics will focus
on the use of the Vancouver-based company's lipid nanoparticle
technology for developing up to ten vaccines or therapeutics. 

 (Reporting by Bhanvi Satija, Manojna Maddipatla and Mrinalika
Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika Syamnath and Aditya Soni)
 ((Bhanvi.Satija@thomsonreuters.com; Outside U.S. +91
9873062788;))