Covid-19 Variant Shot From Sanofi, GSK Shows Strong Response to Omicron in Studies

A Covid-19 vaccine developed by Sanofi SA and GSK PLC to target the Beta strain of the virus produced a stronger antibody response against variants of Omicron when given as a booster compared with certain first-generation shots, two studies have found. The results are the latest indication that tweaking vaccines can nudge antibody responses in the direction of new variants, possibly helping to shore up immunity as the virus mutates. The study results may also provide an opportunity for Sanofi and GSK, two vaccine giants that were late to develop Covid-19 immunizations, to play a role in providing booster shots. In the studies, the Beta-targeted vaccine induced a stronger antibody response to certain Omicron variants than first-generation vaccines, according to Sanofi. One study compared the Beta-targeted vaccine to the original vaccine produced by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE. Neither study has yet been peer-reviewed.