Swiss healthcare company Roche is working with Moderna to include an antibody test for Covid-19 in the biotech company's mRNA-based vaccine trials, possibly demonstrating whether the vaccine is effective.
Credit: Roche
Credit: Roche
Roche says the test, which was approved by the US FDA last month, can provide quantitative evidence of the presence and levels of antibodies as they develop following the administration of Moderna's candidate for the vaccine.
Late-stage trials of the Moderna vaccine with more than 30,000 participants have shown 94% efficacy in preventing Covid-19.
The vaccine is designed to trigger a response by antibodies to proteins found on the coronavirus spike's receptor-binding domain - the part of the virus that enables its entry into human cells.
Roche says its test, carried out in a laboratory and requiring a blood draw, is able to establish a correlation between protection induced by the vaccine and levels of receptor-binding domain antibodies.
“This could play a role in assessing if, or when, an individual needs revaccination, or in helping to answer other clinically relevant questions,” said Roche in a statement.
Demand for molecular tests that detect active Covid-19 from Roche and other companies has, so far, well exceeded supply, though there has been less demand for antibody tests that determine whether someone has been exposed to the virus and recovered.
Roche hopes that with new tests such as the one it is partnering with Moderna's trial vaccine will boost demand for antibody tests too.
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