# Moderna says its COVID-19 shot 93% effective six months after second dose Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2021-08-05 Category: NEWS Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/news Meta Title: Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine: 93% Efficacy Through Six Months Data Meta Description: Moderna's vaccine remains 93% effective through six months, with booster shots expected as protection wanes. Details on booster candidates and plans for URL: https://financedigest.com/moderna-says-its-covid-19-shot-93-effective-six-months-after-second-dosehtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/2021-08-05t103626z1lynxmpeh740phrtroptp4moderna-results-1736838053050-compressed.jpg) By Michael Erman (Reuters) -Moderna Inc said on Thursday its COVID-19 shot was about 93% effective through six months after the second dose, showing hardly any change from the 94% efficacy reported in its original clinical trial. However, it said it still expects booster shots to be necessary ahead of the winter season as antibody levels are expected to wane. It and rival Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE have been advocating a third [shot to maintain a high level of protection against COVID-19](https://www.financedigest.com/u-s-cdc-signs-off-on-moderna-jj-covid-19-vaccine-boosters-mix-and-match-shots.html "U.S. CDC signs off on Moderna, J&J COVID-19 vaccine boosters, mix-and-match shots"). During a second-quarter earnings call, Moderna [CEO Stephane Bancel said that the company would not produce more than the 800 million to 1 billion](https://www.financedigest.com/chipmaker-infineon-ready-to-spend-billions-on-acquisitions-ceo.html "Chipmaker Infineon ready to spend billions on acquisitions – CEO") doses of the vaccine that it has targeted this year. “We are now capacity constrained for 2021, and we are not taking any more orders for 2021 delivery,” he said. Moderna shares fell 3.6% to around $403.87 in pre-market trading after closing at $419.05 on Wednesday. The Moderna data compares favorably to that released by Pfizer and BioNTech last week in which they said their vaccine’s efficacy waned around 6% every two months, declining to around 84% six [months after the second](https://www.financedigest.com/inflation-in-key-german-states-eases-for-second-month.html "Inflation in key German states eases for second month") shot. Both the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech [vaccines are based on messenger RNA](https://www.financedigest.com/innovation-at-periodic-intervals-to-upscale-the-rna-based-therapeutics-and-vaccines-market.html "Innovation at periodic intervals to upscale the RNA Based Therapeutics And Vaccines Market") (mRNA) technology. Our [COVID-19 vaccine](https://www.financedigest.com/factbox-countries-making-covid-19-vaccines-mandatory-2.html "Factbox-Countries making COVID-19 vaccines mandatory") is showing durable efficacy of 93% through six months, but recognize that the Delta variant is a significant new threat so we must remain vigilant,” Bancel said. The comment comes as public health [officials across the world debate](https://www.financedigest.com/key-fed-official-sees-rates-liftoff-in-2023-as-policy-debate-heats-up.html "Key Fed official sees rates liftoff in 2023 as policy debate heats up") whether additional doses are safe, effective and necessary even as they grapple with the fast-spreading Delta variant of the coronavirus. Meanwhile, Pfizer is planning to seek authorization for a third shot later this month, and some countries like [Israel have begun or plan](https://www.financedigest.com/uae-plans-long-term-economic-ties-with-israel-despite-political-strains.html "UAE plans long-term economic ties with Israel despite political strains") to start administering a booster shot to older or vulnerable people. BOOSTER CANDIDATES Separately, Moderna said its [studies of three different booster candidates induced robust antibody](https://www.financedigest.com/astrazeneca-antibody-cocktail-study-shows-success-treating-covid-19.html "AstraZeneca antibody cocktail study shows success treating COVID-19") responses against variants, including the Gamma, Beta and Delta variants. It said [neutralizing antibody levels](https://www.financedigest.com/ecbs-lagarde-raises-prospect-of-rate-hikes-beyond-neutral-level.html "ECB’s Lagarde raises prospect of rate hikes beyond neutral level") following the boost approached those observed after the second shot. For this year, Moderna has [signed vaccine contracts](https://www.financedigest.com/axion-swiss-bank-and-avaloq-sign-long-term-contract-for-bpo-services.html "Axion Swiss Bank and Avaloq sign long-term contract for BPO services") worth $20 billion in sales. It has [agreements for $12 billion](https://www.financedigest.com/petrofac-hitachi-energy-receive-14-billion-agreement-from-tennet.html "Petrofac, Hitachi Energy receive billion agreement from TenneT") in 2022, with options for another roughly $8 billion in sales and expects to produce between 2 billion and 3 billion doses next year. The company, however, has not been able to keep pace with the much larger Pfizer, which [expects to manufacture](https://www.financedigest.com/uk-manufacturers-expect-output-to-fall-3-2-in-2023.html "UK manufacturers expect output to fall 3.2% in 2023") as many as 3 billion doses this year and 2021 sales https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/pfizer-raises-estimates-2021-sales-covid-19-vaccine-335-bln-2021-07-28 to top $33.5 billion. Moderna’s vaccine was authorized for emergency use in adults in the United States in [December and has since been cleared](https://www.financedigest.com/post-brexit-insurance-reform-clear-before-december-says-boes-woods.html "Post-Brexit insurance reform clear before December, says BoE’s Woods") for emergency or conditional use in adults in more than 50 countries. The company expects to finish its submission for [full approval](https://www.financedigest.com/buddy-loans-secures-full-fca-approval-to-offer-guarantor-loans.html "Buddy Loans secures full FCA approval to offer guarantor loans") with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration this month. It [posted second-quarter sales](https://www.financedigest.com/uks-wetherspoon-posts-13-1-rise-in-sales-for-25-wk-period.html "UK’s Wetherspoon posts 13.1% rise in sales for 25-wk period") of $4.4 billion, slightly above expectations of $4.2 billion drawn from 10 analysts polled by Refinitiv. Its [COVID-19 shot is the firm’s](https://www.financedigest.com/financial-services-firms-must-cut-the-cord-in-order-to-weather-the-covid-19-storm.html "Financial services firms must ‘cut the cord’ in order to weather the COVID-19 storm") first authorized product and sales were just $67 million a year earlier. Moderna earned $2.78 billion, or $6.46 a share, beating [quarterly expectations](https://www.financedigest.com/ericssons-quarterly-core-profit-misses-expectations.html "Ericsson’s quarterly core profit misses expectations") of $5.96 a share. (Reporting by Michael Erman in New Jersey and Manas Mishra in Bengaluru; editing by Kirsten Donovan, Edwina Gibbs and Arun Koyyur) --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---