BioNTech/Pfizer launch Omicron COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial

BioNTech/Pfizer have launched a study of a new coronavirus vaccine that targets the Omicron variant — the first retooled version of an EU-approved vaccine to begin clinical testing. As Omicron sweeps across Europe and the world, fast becoming the dominant strain in many countries, medicines regulators and public health bodies are in talks over whether existing vaccines provide enough protection. Omicron can dodge much of the defenses offered by a standard course of COVID-19 vaccines, especially as the immune response wanes. While boosting with the Wuhan-strain of vaccines has shown to protect against severe disease from Omicron, most recent data suggests that even this protection starts to wane as well. COVID-19 vaccine-makers have rushed to develop vaccines that specifically target Omicron, which was first detected in southern Africa in November. While a global decision has not yet been taken on the composition of the next-generation of COVID-19 vaccines, medicines regulators have said revamped COVID-19 jabs need to be tested in clinical trials to demonstrate what immune response they generate.