Moderna Inc. said Thursday that its vaccine remains more than 90% effective for at least six months, but added that people who received it will likely need a third dose before the winter to keep strong protection against newer variants of the coronavirus.
That outlook came as the company announced it had sold $4.2 billion of its vaccine in April through June, a significant boost for a company that a year ago had yet to commercialize its products. In the second quarter of 2020, the company’s revenue was $67 million. Moderna sold 199 million doses of its Covid-19 vaccine in the latest quarter, for a total of 302 million doses so far this year.
The company, based in Cambridge, Mass., has been studying what form of booster shot could provide the best ongoing protection. In a Phase 2 study, a third shot of the original formulation, as well as shots with vaccine candidates with adjusted designs, all showed robust antibody responses against Covid-19 variants of concern, Moderna said.
A separate study has shown that protection from the two-dose regime remains more than 90% effective for at least half a year, the company said.
“We are pleased that our Covid-19 vaccine 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,” Chief Executive Stéphane Bancel said.
