Beta-variant recombinant SARS CoV-2 vaccine induces durable cross-reactive antibodies against Omicron variants

Abstract We previously reported the safety and immunogenicity data from a randomized trial comparing the monovalent (MV) recombinant protein Beta-variant (MVB.1.351) and MV ancestral protein (MVD614) booster vaccines with AS03 adjuvant (Sanofi/GSK) to mRNA BNT162b2 vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech). First booster of the vaccines was administered in adult participants previously primed with 2 doses of BNT162b2. A subset of these participants with available blood samples collected at Day 0 (D0), at 28 days (D28), and 3 months (M3) post-booster were contacted for additional testing (195/208 participants). The persistence of cross-neutralizing antibodies, including against Omicron BA.1 and BA.4/5, up to 3 months after boosting was evaluated using a validated pseudovirus neutralization assay. The data showed that the MVB.1.351 vaccine induced higher and durable cross-neutralizing antibodies against Omicron subvariants up to 3 months after boosting compared to a MV ancestral and the mRNA BNT162b2 booster vaccine.