Valneva vaccine neutralises Omicron variant

In laboratory studies Valneva’s inactivated adjuvanted whole virus COVID-19 vaccine candidate VLA2001 induced antibody titers that neutralised 100% of the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 and 87% of the dominant Omicron variant (B.1.1.529 lineage). The Phase I/II pseudovirus assays were based on sera from 30 participants.

All 30 samples (100%) presented neutralizing antibodies against the ancestral virus and Delta variant, and 26 samples (87%) presented neutralizing antibodies against the Omicron variant. The mean fold reduction of neutralization relative to the ancestral virus was 2.7-fold for Delta and 16.7-fold for Omicron.

Valneva is continuing to provide data to the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, and the National Health Regulatory Authority in Bahrain (NHRA) as part of the rolling submissions process for initial approval of VLA2001. The Company continues to expect to complete these submissions in time to receive potential regulatory approvals in the first quarter of 2022.

Valneva announced in November 2021 that the European Commission signed an agreement for the Company to supply up to 60 million doses of VLA2001 over two years – including 24.3 million doses in 2022. Delivery of the vaccine in Europe is currently expected to begin in April 2022, subject to approval by the EMA.