SARS-CoV-2 BA.1 Variant Is Neutralized by Vaccine Booster-elicited Serum, but Evades Most Convalescent Serum and Therapeutic Antibodies
Abstract
The rapid spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) along with its high number of mutations in the spike gene has raised alarms about the effectiveness of current medical countermeasures. To address this concern, we measured neutralization of the Omicron BA.1 variant pseudovirus by post-vaccination serum samples after two and three immunizations with the Pfizer/BioNTech162b2 SARS-CoV-2 mRNA (Pfizer/BNT162b2) vaccine, convalescent serum samples from unvaccinated individuals infected by different variants, and clinical stage therapeutic antibodies. We found that titers against the Omicron variant were low or undetectable after two immunizations and in many convalescent serum samples, regardless of the infecting variant. A booster vaccination increased titers more than 30-fold against Omicron to values comparable to those seen against the D614G variant after two immunizations. Neither age nor sex were associated with differences in post-vaccination antibody responses. We also evaluated eighteen clinical-stage therapeutic antibody products and an antibody mimetic protein product obtained directly from the manufacturers. Five monoclonal antibodies, the antibody mimetic protein, three antibody cocktails, and two polyclonal antibody preparations retained measurable neutralization activity against Omicron with a varying degree of potency. Of these, only three retained potencies comparable to the D614G variant. Two therapeutic antibody cocktails in the tested panel that are authorized for emergency use in the United States did not neutralize Omicron. These findings underscore the potential benefit of mRNA vaccine boosters for protection against Omicron and the need for rapid development of antibody therapeutics that maintain potency against emerging variants.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 05, 2022
- Accession Number
- AD1167926
Entities
People
- Ann E. Eakin
- Anthony C. Fries
- Anuradha Ganesan
- Brian K. Agan
- Carol D Weiss
- Christopher C Broder
- Christopher J. Colombo
- David A. Lindholm
- David R. Tribble
- Edward Mitre
- Emilie Goguet
- Eric D. Laing
- Evan C. Ewers
- Gregory Wang
- Karl J. Erlandson
- Leah C Katzelnick
- Lisa Bentley
- Mark P Simons
- Monique Hollis-perry
- Nusrat J Epsi
- Richard T Wang
- Rupal Mody
- Russell Vassell
- Sabari N Neerukonda
- Sabrina Lusvarghi
- Siana A Coggins
- Simon D. Pollett
- Tahaniyat Lalani
- Timothy H. Burgess
- Wei Wang
Organizations
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine
- Madigan Army Medical Center
- Naval Medical Center Portsmouth
- Naval Medical Research Center
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
- United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine
- Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
- William Beaumont Army Medical Center