Moderna Vaccine Lab Results Strong Against Delta Variant By Investing.com

By Christiana Sciaudone

Investing.com — Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) rose almost 6% after saying its Covid-19 vaccine may be effective against variants, including the delta strain that is rapidly spreading. 

The mRNA vaccine produced neutralizing antibodies against all variants tested, including the delta, beta and eta, the company said in a statement. The vaccine was also authorized for use in India, where the delta variant may be responsible for the outbreak, CNBC said. The shares hit a 52-week high in morning trading, at $238.40.

“As we seek to defeat the pandemic, it is imperative that we are proactive as the virus evolves,” said Chief Executive Officer Stephane Bancel. “We remain committed to studying emerging variants, generating data and sharing it as it becomes available. These new data are encouraging and reinforce our belief that the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine should remain protective against newly detected variants. These findings highlight the importance of continuing to vaccinate populations with an effective primary series vaccine.”

The results were based on the blood serum of eight participants one week after receiving the second dose of the vaccine, though the data hasn’t been peer-reviewed. The results may not reflect real world scenarios against the variants.