The T-cell-directed vaccine BNT162b4 encoding conserved non-spike antigens protects animals from severe SARS-CoV-2 infection
Christina M. Arieta, Yushu Joy Xie, Daniel Rothenberg, Huitian Diao, Dewi Harjanto, Shirisha Meda, Krisann Marquart, Byron Koenitzer, Tracey Sciuto, Alexander Lobo, Adam Zuiani, Stefanie A. Krumm, Carla Iris Cadima Couto, Stephanie Hein, André P. Heinen, Thomas Ziegenhals, Yunpeng Liu-Lupo, Annette B. Vogel, John R. Srouji, Stephanie Fesser, Kaushik Thanki, Kerstin C. Walzer, Theresa A. Addona, Özlem Türeci, Uğur Şahin, Richard B. Gaynor, Asaf Poran
Abstract
T cell responses to diverse epitopes in animal models, alone or when co-administered with BNT162b2 while preserving spike-specific immunity. Importantly, we demonstrate that BNT162b4 protects hamsters from severe disease and reduces viral titers following challenge with viral variants. These data suggest that a combination of BNT162b2 and BNT162b4 could reduce COVID-19 disease severity and duration caused by circulating or future variants. BNT162b4 is currently being clinically evaluated in combination with the BA.4/BA.5 Omicron-updated bivalent BNT162b2 (NCT05541861).