Active Stocks
Thu Mar 28 2024 15:59:33
  1. Tata Steel share price
  2. 155.90 2.00%
  1. ICICI Bank share price
  2. 1,095.75 1.08%
  1. HDFC Bank share price
  2. 1,448.20 0.52%
  1. ITC share price
  2. 428.55 0.13%
  1. Power Grid Corporation Of India share price
  2. 277.05 2.21%
Business News/ News / World/  Pfizer vaccine appears effective against new Covid-19 strain in UK: Report
BackBack

Pfizer vaccine appears effective against new Covid-19 strain in UK: Report

A study conducted by the US drugmaker indicated the Covid-19 vaccine was effective in neutralising the killer virus with the so-called N501Y mutation of the spike protein

A healthcare worker prepares a Pfizer vaccination in Los Angeles, California, US. (REUTERS)Premium
A healthcare worker prepares a Pfizer vaccination in Los Angeles, California, US. (REUTERS)

US pharma giant Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccine appears to work against a key mutation in the highly transmissible new strain of coronavirus detected in Britain and South Africa.

The not-yet peer-reviewed laboratory study conducted by Pfizer and scientists from the University of Texas Medical Branch indicated the Covid-19 vaccine was effective in neutralising the killer virus with the so-called N501Y mutation of the spike protein.

Also Read | Virus spread slows but two states still a worry

The mutation could be responsible for greater transmissibility and there had been concern it could also make the virus escape antibody neutralisation elicited by the vaccine, news agency Reuters quoted Phil Dormitzer, one of Pfizer's top viral vaccine scientists, as saying.

The study was conducted on blood taken from people who had been given the vaccine. Its findings are limited because it does not look at the full set of mutations found in either of the new variants of the rapidly spreading virus, the report added.

Vaccine appears effective against 16 mutations

Dormitzer said it was encouraging that the vaccine appears effective against the mutation, as well as 15 other mutations the company has previously tested against.

"So we've now tested 16 different mutations, and none of them have really had any significant impact. That's the good news," he said. "That doesn't mean that the 17th won't."

Dormitzer noted another mutation found in the South African variant, called the E484K mutation, is also concerning.

The researchers plan to run similar tests to see if the vaccine is effective against other mutations found in the UK and South African variants and hope to have more data within weeks.

Scientists have expressed concern that vaccines being rolled out may not be able to protect against the new variants, particularly the one that emerged in South Africa.

Simon Clarke, an associate professor in cellular microbiology at the University of Reading, said this week that while both variants had some new features in common, the one found in South Africa "has a number additional mutations" that included more extensive alterations to the spike protein.

The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine and the one from Moderna Inc, which use synthetic messenger RNA technology, can be quickly tweaked to address new mutations of a virus if necessary. Scientists have suggested the changes could be made in as little as six weeks.

Meanwhile, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it had administered 5,919,418 first doses of Covid vaccines in the country and distributed 21,419,800 doses.

The tally of vaccine doses distributed and the number of people who received the first dose are for both Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines.

Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!

Catch all the Business News, Market News, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
More Less
Published: 08 Jan 2021, 09:29 AM IST
Next Story footLogo
Recommended For You
Switch to the Mint app for fast and personalized news - Get App