Pfizer to start trial of updated version of Covid vaccine soon
'Plan to start an immunogenicity and safety study in August to evaluate an updated version of our vaccine specifically designed to target the Delta variant' the company adds in a statement
Pfizer Inc on Wednesday said that it plans to start immunogenicity and safety study as soon as August to evaluate updated version of a Covid-19 vaccine designed to target the fast-spreading and highly contagious Delta variant.
"We also plan to start an immunogenicity and safety study in August to evaluate an updated version of our vaccine specifically designed to target the Delta variant," The US-based pharma company said in a statement.
The Delta variant, which is the most transmissible, is expanding rapidly worldwide and now represents approximately 83% of sequenced cases in the US, Pfizer said.
Pfizer has said it believes a third "booster" dose of its vaccine will be needed in the future, which could help it bring in more sales in 2022. The company said on Wednesday it could file for an emergency use authorization for a potential booster dose as early as August.
"We continue to believe it is likely that a third dose booster may be needed within 6 to 12 months after full vaccination to maintain the highest levels of protection, and studies are underway to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of a third dose,"
Apart from that, Pfizer also said expects to have safety and immunogenicity data to support US Emergency Use Authorization for use in children aged 5 to 11 years by end of September, it added in its quarterly earnings update today.
Pfizer posted better-than-expected profits and revenues for the second quarter and raised its outlook for the year on the strong performance, including sales of its COVID-19 vaccine.
The company now anticipates revenue from that vaccine this year to reach $33.5 billion for 2.1 billion doses.
Pfizer Inc. reported second-quarter net income of $5.56 billion Wednesday, or 98 cents per share, or $1.07 per share when one-time gains and losses are removed. That far exceeds the per-share earnings of 97 cents that Wall Street had expected, according to a survey by Zacks Investment Research.
The drugmaker posted revenue of $18.98 billion, also better than expected.
Pfizer expects full-year earnings in the range of $3.95 to $4.05 per share, with revenue in the range of $78 billion to $80 billion.
The pharma company has sharply increased its 2021 projection for revenues tied to its Covid-19 vaccine on Wednesday, forecasting the delivery of 500 million more doses compared with earlier expectations.
The US drugmaker, who has partnered with Germany's BioNTech on the vaccine, estimates delivering 2.1 billion doses, generating $33.5 billion in sales. The company's May forecast was for $26 billion in sales.
Pfizer also lifted its full-year profit outlook.
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