Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) and BioNTech SE (Nasdaq: BNTX) today announced a 30-µg booster dose of their Omicron BA.4/BA.5 bivalent-adapted COVID-19 Vaccine (COMIRNATY® Original/Omicron BA.4/BA.5 15/15 µg) has been recommended for conditional marketing authorization (cMA) by the European Medicines Agency's (EMA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) for individuals ages 12 years and older. The European Commission will review the CHMP recommendation and is expected to make a final decision soon.
The Omicron BA.4/BA.5-adapted bivalent vaccine contains 15-µg of mRNA encoding the wild-type spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 in the Original Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, and 15-µg of mRNA encoding the spike protein of the Omicron BA.4/BA.5 subvariants. Apart from the addition of the mRNA sequence of the BA.4/BA.5 spike protein, all other components of the vaccine remain unchanged.
"This recommendation marks another major milestone in the ongoing global fight against COVID-19, bolstering our defenses as we prepare for fall and winter with potential increased exposure to the virus," said Albert Bourla, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Pfizer. "Due to our multifaceted approach helping to address emerging variants and subvariants of concern, public health authorities in the EU will have our bivalent booster options, pending authorization, to facilitate flexible vaccination strategies for maximal coverage across the region."
"If the European Commission follows today's recommendation by the CHMP, EU residents will have access to Omicron-adapted vaccines before the start of the winter season," said Prof. Ugur Sahin, M.D., CEO and Co-founder of BioNTech. "The bivalent vaccines encode the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 wild-type as well as a spike protein of an Omicron subvariant. They aim to provide broader immunization against COVID-19 caused by the current dominant Omicron sublineages and previous variants of concern."
Today's recommendation follows guidance from the EMA, World Health Organization (WHO) and International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities (ICMRA) to advance bivalent vaccine candidates, with the goal of making an Omicron-adapted vaccine available to European Union (EU) member states as soon as possible. The CHMP recommendation concerning the Omicron BA.4/BA.5 bivalent COVID-19 vaccine is based on data from Pfizer's and BioNTech's Omicron BA.1-adapted bivalent vaccine as well as pre-clinical and manufacturing data from the Omicron BA.4/BA.5-adapted bivalent vaccine. Clinical data from a Phase 2/3 trial showed a booster dose of Pfizer and BioNTech's Omicron BA.1-adapted bivalent vaccine elicited a superior immune response against the Omicron BA.1 subvariant compared to the companies' current COVID-19 vaccine, with a favorable safety profile. Additionally, pre-clinical data showed a booster dose of the BA.4/BA.5-adapted bivalent vaccine generated a strong neutralizing antibody response against the Omicron sublineages including BA.1, BA.2, BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants, as well as the original virus, while retaining a favorable safety profile.
If an authorization is granted, the Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent Omicron BA.4/BA.5 COVID-19 vaccine will be available within the coming days to all 27 EU member states supporting the European vaccination campaigns. Local supply may vary based on individual country government requests. In early September, Pfizer and BioNTech were granted a conditional marketing authorization for an Omicron BA.1-adapted bivalent COVID-19 vaccine in the EU. An Omicron-adapted vaccine based on the BA.4/BA.5 subvariant was also authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a booster for ages 12 and older on August 31, 2022. The companies are also planning to file the data with other regulatory authorities in the coming weeks and are planning to submit data to the FDA and the EMA to prepare an application for an Omicron-adapted bivalent vaccine in children younger than 12 years of age.
The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, which is based on BioNTech's proprietary mRNA technology, was developed by both BioNTech and Pfizer. BioNTech is the Marketing Authorization Holder for BNT162b2 (COMIRNATY®) in the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada and other countries, and the holder of emergency use authorizations or equivalents in the United States (jointly with Pfizer) and other countries. Submissions to pursue regulatory approvals in those countries where emergency use authorizations or equivalent were initially granted are planned.
PFIZER-BIONTECH COVID-19 VACCINE, BIVALENT (ORIGINAL AND OMICRON BA.4/BA.5) AUTHORIZED USES
Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent (Original and Omicron BA.4/BA.5) is FDA-authorized underEmergency Use Authorization (EUA) for use in individuals 12 years of age and older as a single booster dose administered at least 2 months after either:
- completion of primary vaccination with any authorized or approved monovalent* COVID-19 vaccine; or
- receipt of the most recent booster dose with any authorized or approved monovalent COVID-19 vaccine.
*Monovalent refers to any authorized and approved COVID-19 vaccine that contains or encodes the spike protein of only the Original SARS-CoV-2 virus
COMIRNATY® (COVID-19 Vaccine, mRNA) INDICATION
COMIRNATY® (COVID-19 Vaccine, mRNA) is a vaccine approved for active immunization to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in individuals 12 years of age and older.
AUTHORIZED USES
Primary Series
- a third primary series dose to individuals 12 years of age and older who have certain kinds of immunocompromise
Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine
INDICATION
Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine is FDA authorized under Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for use in individuals 6 months and older to provide:
AUTHORIZED USES
Primary Series
- a 3-dose primary series to individuals 6 months through 4 years of age
- a 2-dose primary series to individuals 5 years through 11 years of age
- a third primary series dose to individuals 5 years through 11 years of age with certain kinds of immunocompromise
Booster
- a single booster dose to individuals 5 through 11 years of age who have completed a primary series with Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine
Emergency Use Authorization
Emergency uses of the vaccines have not been approved or licensed by FDA, but have been authorized by FDA, under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to prevent Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID 19) in:
- individuals 6 months of age and older (Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine)
- individuals 12 years of age and older (Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent)
The emergency uses are only authorized for the duration of the declaration that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of emergency use of the medical product under Section 564(b)(1) of the FD&C Act unless the declaration is terminated or authorization revoked sooner.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent (Original and Omicron BA.4/BA.5), COMIRNATY® (COVID-19 Vaccine, mRNA) and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine
Tell your vaccination provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:
- have any allergies
- have had myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) or pericarditis (inflammation of the lining outside the heart)
- have a fever
- have a bleeding disorder or are on a blood thinner
- are immunocompromised or are on a medicine that affects the immune system
- are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding
- have received another COVID-19 vaccine
- have ever fainted in association with an injection
- COMIRNATY® (COVID-19 Vaccine, mRNA) and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent (Original and Omicron BA.4/BA.5) may not protect all vaccine recipients.
- You should not receive Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent (Original and Omicron BA.4/BA.5) if you have had a severe allergic reaction to after a previous dose of COMIRNATY (COVID-19 Vaccine, mRNA) or the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID 19 Vaccine or had a severe allergic reaction to any ingredient in these vaccines
- There is a remote chance that Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent (Original and Omicron BA.4/BA.5) could cause a severe allergic reaction. A severe allergic reaction would usually occur within a few minutes to 1 hour after getting a dose of the vaccine. For this reason, your vaccination provider may ask you to stay at the place where you received the vaccine for monitoring after vaccination. If you experience a severe allergic reaction, call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest hospital
Seek medical attention right away if you have any of the following symptoms:
- difficulty breathing, swelling of the face and throat, a fast heartbeat, a bad rash all over the body, dizziness, and weakness
- Myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and pericarditis (inflammation of the lining outside the heart) have occurred in some people who have received COMIRNATY® (COVID-19 vaccine, mRNA) or Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine. The observed risk is higher among adolescent males and adult males under 40 years of age than among females and older males, and the observed risk is highest in males 12 through 17 years of age. In most of these people, symptoms began within the first week following receipt of the second primary series dose or first booster dose, with most booster doses administered at least 5 months after completing primary vaccination. The chance of having this occur is very low.
Side effects that have been reported with these vaccines include:
- Severe allergic reactions
- Non-severe allergic reactions such as rash, itching, hives, or swelling of the face
- Myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle)
- Pericarditis (inflammation of the lining outside the heart)
- Injection site pain
- Tiredness
- Headache
- Muscle pain
- Chills
- Joint pain
- Fever
- Injection site swelling
- Injection site redness
- Nausea
- Feeling unwell
- Swollen lymph nodes (lymphadenopathy)
- Decreased appetite
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Arm pain
- Fainting in association with injection of the vaccine
- Unusual and persistent irritability
- Unusual and persistent poor feeding
- Unusual and persistent fatigue or lack of energy
- Unusual and persistent cool, pale skin
These may not be all the possible side effects of the vaccine. Call the vaccination provider or healthcare provider about bothersome side effects or side effects that do not go away.
- Individuals should always ask their healthcare providers for medical advice about adverse events. Report vaccine side effects to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). The VAERS toll-free number is 1‐800‐822‐7967 or report online to www.vaers.hhs.gov/reportevent.html. In addition, individuals can report side effects to Pfizer Inc. at www.pfizersafetyreporting.com or by calling 1-800-438-1985
Click for Fact Sheets and Prescribing Information for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent (Original and Omicron BA.4/BA.5):
EUA Fact Sheet for Recipients and Caregivers (12 years of age and older)
EUA Fact Sheet for Vaccination Providers (12 Years & Up), BIVALENT (Original and Omicron BA.4/BA.5), DO NOT DILUTE, Gray Cap
Click for Fact Sheets and Prescribing Information for individuals 5 years of age and older:
Recipients and Caregivers Fact Sheet (6 months through 4 years of age)
Recipients and Caregivers Fact Sheet (5 through 11 years of age)
Recipients and Caregivers Fact Sheet (12 years of age and older)
COMIRNATY® Full Prescribing Information (12 years of age and older), DILUTE BEFORE USE, Purple Cap
COMIRNATY® Full Prescribing Information (12 years of age and older), DO NOT DILUTE, Gray Cap
EUA Fact Sheet for Vaccination Providers (6 months through 4 years of age), DILUTE BEFORE USE, Maroon Cap
EUA Fact Sheet for Vaccination Providers (5 through 11 years of age), DILUTE BEFORE USE, Orange Cap
EUA Fact Sheet for Vaccination Providers (12 years of age and older), DILUTE BEFORE USE, Purple Cap
EUA Fact Sheet for Vaccination Providers (12 years of age and older), DO NOT DILUTE, Gray Cap
