BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine capable of neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 UK Strain

20 January 2021

A new study has confirmed that BNT162b2, the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) and Germany’s BioNTech (Nasdaq: BNTX), is capable of neutralizing the strain of the novel coronavirus detected in the UK.

The results were published on the preprint server bioRxiv and have been submitted to a peer-reviewed journal, the companies noted.

The B.1.1.7 lineage is a rapidly spreading variant of SARS-CoV-2 initially detected in the United Kingdom that carries a larger than usual number of genetic changes with 10 mutations located in the spike protein. BioNTech and Pfizer have previously published data from an in vitro study that evaluated one of the key mutations (N501Y) in the U.K. strain, which is also shared by the South African strain. That study showed efficient neutralization of the N501Y mutated spike bearing virus by sera of individuals who had received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

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