Pfizer and Biotech launch a trial of a vaccine targeting Omicron

Pfizer and Biotech said Tuesday they have started a clinical trial to test a new version of their vaccine specifically designed to target the omicron mutant of COVID-19 that has eluded some of the protection provided by the original two-dose vaccine regimen.

The two companies intend to test the immune response from the Omicron vaccine as a three-dose regimen for unvaccinated people and as a booster dose for those who received two doses of the company’s original vaccine.

The two companies are also testing a fourth dose of the current vaccine compared to a fourth dose of the Omicron vaccine in people who received their third dose of the Pfizer/Biontech vaccine between three and six months ago.

The two companies plan to study the safety and tolerability of the vaccines in the more than 1,400 people who will participate in the trial.