AstraZeneca Plc said on Tuesday it is working with Oxford University to produce a vaccine for the Omicron coronavirus variant, joining other vaccine-makers who are looking to develop the variant-specific vaccine.
“Together with Oxford University, we have taken preliminary steps in producing an Omicron variant vaccine, in case it is needed and will be informed by emerging data,” a spokesperson for the company said in a statement.
Oxford did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside business hours.
The Financial Times first reported the news, citing Sandy Douglas, a research group leader at Oxford.
“Adenovirus-based vaccines (such as that made by Oxford/AstraZeneca) could in principle be used to respond to any new variant more rapidly than some may previously have realized,” Douglas told FT.
A lab-study last week found that AstraZeneca’s antibody cocktail Evusheld retained neutralizing activity against the Omicron variant.
Vaccine makers Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna also previously said they were working on Omicron- specific COVID-19 vaccines. Moderna said hopes to start clinical trials early next year.