Israel's COVID-19 Vaccine-Produces Antibodies Against Omicron Variant

Pennsylvania-based NRx Pharmaceuticals today confirmed it received scientific evidence from the Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR) that the BriLife® vaccine candidate may produce effective levels of neutralizing antibody against the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.

More importantly, many of the mutations that cause the Omicron variant spike protein to differ from the spike protein of the original SARS-CoV-2 virus have been identified in the spike protein of the BriLife vaccine. 

This natural evolution of the BriLife vaccine suggests that the vaccine may continue to evolve to address future Variants of Concern (VOCs).

Unlike the current mRNA and attenuated virus vaccines, the BriLife is a live, viral vector vaccine in which the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 has been added to a benign virus, called VSV.

The non-peer-reviewed evidence released on January 25, 2022, were based on blood samples (sera) of patients vaccinated during the phase 2 clinical trial of the BriLife vaccine conducted in Israel.

These sera indicated a mean neutralization titer of 53 against Omicron vs. 152 against the original wild-type virus and 131 against the Delta variant.

This 3-fold change against the wild-type virus may be compared to the 20-fold decrement associated with mRNA vaccines, which helps explain the high infectivity of Omicron in currently vaccinated individuals.

The IIBR documented that 10 of 13 tested sera demonstrated clinically detectable levels of Omicron-neutralizing antibody.

The IIBR report concludes that "Taken together, our data indicate that BriLife-induced antibodies maintain neutralizing potential against all tested variants."

"We suggest that spontaneously-acquired mutations that occurred during BriLife development and correspond to naturally-occurring mutations of SARS-CoV-2 variants, may increase the potential of BriLife to maintain effectiveness against current SARS-CoV-2 variants, and potentially against future VOCs."

Prof. Jonathan Javitt, MD, MPH, CEO and Chairman of NRx, added in a press statement issued on January 27, 2022, "The BriLife vaccine has now demonstrated potential to continue to evolve in a manner that has the potential to protect against variants that are not yet known."

"And (Brilife) is planned to be tested as a booster in a phase 2 trial that will include Israel and other partner countries."

Located in Radnor, PA, NRx Pharmaceuticals draws upon more than 300 years of collective, scientific, and drug-development experience to bring improved health to patients.