KING OF PRUSSIA, PA — Global biotech leaders CSL and Arcturus Therapeutics have released the results of a six-month follow-up analysis comparing their self-amplifying messenger RNA (sa-mRNA) COVID-19 vaccine, ARCT-154, with Pfizer-BioNTech’s conventional mRNA vaccine, Comirnaty®. Administered at just one-sixth of the dose of Comirnaty®, ARCT-154 demonstrated a more extended immune response against both the original Wuhan strain and the Omicron BA.4/5 variant.
The study, conducted across 11 sites in Japan, followed a randomized, double-blind, active-controlled protocol. The research focused on the immunogenicity of both vaccines at one, three, and six months post-booster.
Jonathan Edelman, M.D., Senior Vice President, Vaccines Innovation Unit, CSL, commented on the findings. “These results further support sa-mRNA’s differentiating attribute to provide prolonged protection against COVID-19 at lower doses,” he said.
The data revealed that ARCT-154 induced a higher immune response compared to Comirnaty®. One month after the booster shot, the ARCT-154 group displayed a higher immune response, with a Geometric Mean Titers (GMT) of 5390 compared to the Comirnaty® group’s GMT of 3738. This trend continued, with the ARCT-154 group maintaining superior GMT ratios at three and six months post-booster.
Moreover, the study observed a slower decline in Omicron BA.4/5 neutralizing antibodies in the ARCT-154 group compared to the Comirnaty® group. By Day 181, the GMT ratio favored ARCT-154 by 2•26.
CSL and Arcturus’ ARCT-154 vaccine’s ability to provide prolonged protection at lower doses could be a game-changer in the ongoing fight against COVID-19. As we continue to grapple with new virus strains and waning immunity, the potential for a more durable and dose-efficient vaccine is a significant development in global health.
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