Pfizer CEO says shot targeting Omicron to be ready in March

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said on Monday he was unsure about the need for a fourth dose of Covid-19 vaccine and that a shot targeting the Omicron variant would be ready in March. The comments contrasted with those made by Moderna CEO Stephen Bancel, who said last week people could need another shot in the fall of 2022 as the efficacy of boosters was likely to decline over the next few months.
“I don’t know if there is a need for a fourth booster, that is something that needs to be tested,” Bourla said on CNBC. Work is ongoing on a new version of vaccine that would be effective against Omicron and other variants, he said.
The US drugmaker earlier in the day announced three deals to broaden the use of the mRNA technology that its Covid9 vaccine was based on, including a pact worth as much as $1.35 billion with gene-editing specialist Beam Therapeutics. Pfizer has been looking to advance the development of mRNA-based vaccines and therapeutics after it led global efforts to develop a Covid-19 shot against the pandemic.