Moderna said early Monday that a booster dose of its coronavirus vaccine raises neutralizing antibodies against the omicron variant, according to preliminary lab tests.

In a news release, the company said an initial lab study demonstrated that a 50-microgram booster shot of its COVID-19 vaccine increased antibody levels against the variant about 37-fold compared to “pre-boost” levels. A 100-microgram booster increased antibody levels 83-fold, the release said.

The study has not yet been published or peer-reviewed.

In the United States, the currently approved Moderna booster dose is 50 micrograms, while the first two doses of the vaccine are 100 micrograms each.

The news came less than two weeks after Pfizer and BioNTech said a third dose of their COVID-19 vaccine appeared to neutralize omicron, increasing antibody levels 25-fold compared to two doses.

WSB