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Moderna COVID-19 bivalent (SPIKEVAX Bivalent Original/Omicron BA.4-5) booster dose vaccine
This vaccine has been granted provisional approval for use as a booster dose in individuals aged 12 years and older.
On 17 February, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) granted provisional approval to Moderna’s bivalent COVID-19 vaccine: elasomeran and davesomeran (SPIKEVAX Bivalent Original/Omicron BA.4-5) for use as a booster dose in individuals aged 12 years and older.
This is the second bivalent vaccine targeting the Omicron BA.4-5 subvariants that has been provisionally approved by the TGA and follows provisional approval of Pfizer’s COMIRNATY BIVALENT Omicron BA.4/BA.5 COVID-19 vaccine on 20 January 2023.
The TGA carefully considered data from an ongoing Phase II/III study, which showed that the vaccine elicited a superior neutralising antibody response against the Omicron BA.4/BA.5 strain compared to the original (monovalent) SPIKEVAX vaccine. The vaccine also elicited a good neutralising antibody response against a number of other currently circulating and emerging variants.
Evidence from extensive use in Canada, Europe, Japan and the US over recent months has also shown that this booster provides clear reductions in hospitalisation and death. Additionally, the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has reported that early safety findings found that this vaccine has a similar safety profile to the original SPIKEVAX booster.
The decision to approve SPIKEVAX Bivalent Original/Omicron BA.4-5 was informed by expert advice from the Advisory Committee on Vaccines, an independent committee with expertise in scientific, medical and clinical fields and including consumer representation. The potential use of this vaccine in the national COVID-19 vaccination program is still to be determined. The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) will provide advice to the Government on these matters in coming weeks.
mRNA vaccines
SPIKEVAX Bivalent Original/Omicron BA.4-5 is the fourth bivalent mRNA vaccine to receive provisional approval in Australia. mRNA vaccines use a synthetic genetic code called RNA to give our cells instructions about how to make the coronavirus' unique spike protein. When our body has made the protein encoded by the mRNA vaccine, it then recognises the spike protein as being foreign and launches an immune response against it. The RNA from the vaccine does not change, or interact, with our DNA in any way.
Supporting regulatory documents
The provisional approval pathway provides a formal and transparent mechanism for registration of promising new medicines with preliminary clinical data.
The following regulatory documents are made available as part of this process:
- Product Information (PI)
- Consumer Medicine Information (CMI)
- Spikevax bivalent Original/Omicron BA.4-5 (elasomeran and davesomeran) Decision Summary
The decision summary provides a short overview of the TGA's evaluation process leading to the registration of a new prescription medicine on the ARTG. - AusPAR: elasomeran and davesomeran - Booster dose in individuals aged 12 years and older
An Australian Public Assessment Report (AusPAR) provides information about the evaluation of a prescription medicine and the considerations that led the TGA to approve or not approve a prescription medicine submission.