The vaccine candidate, known as BNT162b5, is a bivalent vaccine that contains enhanced prefusion spike proteins for the SARS-CoV-2 ancestral strain and for an Omicron variant.
In the announcement, the companies explained that by ‘enhanced’, it is meant that BNT162b5 the spike protein encoded from the mRNAs has been modified with the aim of increasing the magnitude and breadth of the immune response in recipients, potentially better protecting against COVID-19.
Pfizer and BioNTech have previously advanced an Omicron-adapted vaccine candidate, with the partners posting results in late June that this monovalent vaccine resulted in a ‘substantially higher’ immune response compared with the existing vaccine.
However, the companies look set to pursue vaccine candidates with this enhanced, bivalent design, with an eye on providing a longer-term strategy against COVID-19. BNT162b5 represents the “first of multiple vaccine candidates” designed in the same manner, the companies stated.
In terms of the trial, BNT162b5 will be tested in the US in approximately 200 recipients aged between 18 and 55 who have received one booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, at least 90 days prior to their first study visit.
Retaining sales
It is no secret that for both companies, Comirnaty, their approved vaccine against COVID-19, has driven enormous sales. In the first quarter of this year, Pfizer was able to reach $13.2bn (€12.9bn) in sales for the product, which actually represented an increase on the $12.5bn earned in Q4 of 2021.