Benzinga | Dec 6, 2021 08:09AM EST

Johnson & Johnson Booster COVID-19 Shot Shows Encouraging Action After Pfizer/BioNTech Jab

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) announced preliminary results from an independent study, including a subset of the Janssen-sponsored COV2008 study participants. The article describing these results has been posted on medRxiv.

* The study showed a booster shot of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, administered six months after a two-dose primary regimen of Pfizer Inc (NYSE: PFE) / BioNTech SE (NASDAQ:BNRX) BNT162b2 (Comirnaty) increased antibody and T-cell responses.

* These results demonstrate the potential benefits of heterologous boosting (mix-and-match).

* These Phase 2 data are reinforced by preliminary results from the UK COV-BOOST clinical study published in The Lancet.

* The study demonstrated that following primary vaccination with two doses of either BNT162b2 or AstraZeneca Plc's (NASDAQ: AZN) (Covishield) ChAdOx1 nCov-19, a booster dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine increased both antibody and T-cell responses.

* The Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine and BNT162b2 as boosters led to similar neutralizing and binding antibody levels four weeks following the boost.

* However, after a mix-and-match booster dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, antibodies continued to increase for at least four weeks.

* In contrast, antibodies declined from week two to week four post-boost in individuals who received a homologous boost with the BNT162b2 vaccine.

* Also Read: Valneva's COVID-19 Shot Fails As Booster In Pfizer/BioNTech Vaccinated Population.

* Price Action: JNJ shares are up 0.68% at $160.47 during the premarket session on the last check Monday.