.@ScottGottliebMD on @CNBCClosingBell now: Even if B.1.1.529 variant can evade vaccines to a degree, it won't necessarily negate their effectiveness completely. He notes it may be similar to the B.1.351 (beta) variant, where protection was still about 75%
Gottlieb notes, though, that waning immunity among people who aren't boosted could leave many more vulnerable to a variant like this.
He says worst case, when delta wave wanes, this could cause more infection in Spring/Summer in US. But much is unknown, he says.
Gottlieb notes increased transmissibility isn't clear yet; could be a founder effect, and bc it's detectable by PCR, researchers could be oversampling.
Suggests it's possible large # of mutations could lead to less transmissibility.
But says "way early" to draw conclusions.
Gottlieb: "we're not going to lose our armamentarium against this new variant. It may put a wrench in the trajectory of what we need to do, in terms of how we deploy those things and put new urgency on getting people vaccinated, but we're going to be able to stay ahead of this."
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-Moderna notes it's shown it can get into clinic (human trials) within 60 days; question is regulatory process from there. Manufacturing new doses could take a few months.
-BioNTech expects lab data within 2 weeks (1/2)
What vaccine makers are saying about B.1.1.529 (cont):
-lab data will tell BioNTech whether B.1.1.529 could be an escape variant
-Pfizer/BioNTech can adapt mRNA vaccine within 6 weeks, ship initial batches within 100 days in event of escape variant (2/2)
What vaccine makers are saying about B.1.1.529 (cont):
-J&J says it's closely monitoring new strains and is "already testing the effectiveness of our vaccine against the new and rapidly spreading variant first detected in southern Africa." (3/2)
Phase 2 results on Atea/Roche #covid19 antiviral AT-527 just out. Didn't meet goal in reducing virus in mild to moderate Covid in overall study population, which co says was 2/3 patients at low risk w mild symptoms. But says there was a reduction for high-risk patients (1/2)
Atea says it and Roche are assessing modifications to their phase 3 #covid19 antiviral trial, and now expect results from it in the second half of 2022 (2/2)
I just spoke with Dr Katherine Poehling from Wake Forest, one of the CDC advisory cmte members whose vote was ostensibly overruled by @CDCDirector Dr Rochelle Walensky on Pfizer #covid19 booster.
I say ostensibly, because Dr Poehling says she feels like Dr Walensky listened. (1)
ACIP member Dr Poehling:
“We’re an advisory committee, and I felt like our perspectives were clearly heard. And so I felt like the process actually worked well.” (2)
Dr Poehling says she voted no because she was concerned people in that last category (at occupational/setting risk) would feel they didn’t have a choice BUT to get a booster.
But Dr Walensky's recommendation added the word "may" for that category. (3)
FDA notes at CDC advisory committee meeting that it has a Moderna submission for #covid19 vaccine booster, and “we are working diligently to get that completed.”
FDA says it’s working with partners including NIH to provide a solution about boosters for all - “I don’t know if I can provide a specific timeframe,” Dr Doran Fink says.
Dr Peter Marks joins: “We understand at FDA the relative urgency here of trying to have a solution for anyone who’s been vaccinated with any of the authorized or approved vaccines. Unfortunately we’re not in a place right now where I can give you an exact timeline… (cont)
FDA booster meeting Q&A begins w Dr Marion Gruber turning it over to Dr Phil Krause, who notes much of the data being discussed today is "not peer-reviewed and has not been reviewed by FDA."
Asks Pfizer whether Kaiser model accurately reflects true vaccine effectiveness
Dr Krause highly critical of Kaiser study supporting Pfizer conclusions
And Pfizer is having crazy audio issues responding to Dr Krause