Valneva reports further heterologous booster data from study of COVID-19 vaccine

Valneva reported further heterologous booster data from an exploratory, small clinical study for its inactivated COVID-19 vaccine, VLA2001. In study VLA2001-3071, a subset of participants, or three out of nine groups, received VLA2001 following two or three doses of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, with or without break-through infection, including 25-50 participants per group. The data show that a booster dose of VLA2001 was well tolerated in previously BNT162b2 – Pfizer/BioNTech – or mRNA 1273 – Moderna – vaccinated participants, "confirming the favorable safety profile of VLA2001 seen across all studies – including in homologous or heterologous booster settings," the company said. "However, in this study, an additional booster dose of VLA2001 elicited only a marginally increased neutralizing antibody response," Valneva added. The company previously reported positive heterologous booster results following primary vaccination with ChAdOx1-S – AstraZeneca – in August 20223 and positive homologous booster results at the end of December 20214. Valneva is currently seeking regulatory approval for VLA2001 as a homologous booster as well as heterologous booster in ChAdOx1-S – AstraZeneca – primed individuals which may support the company in deploying its inventory in international markets. Juan Carlos Jaramillo, M.D., Valneva’s Chief Medical Officer, commented, "While these latest booster results are not aligned with the encouraging homologous and heterologous booster results seen previously, we are pleased to once again confirm the favorable safety and tolerability profile of VLA2001, which was important for EMA and MHRA approval."