BNT162b2-Elicited Neutralization of Delta Plus, Lambda, and Other Variants

Liu, J.; Liu, Y.; Xia, H.; Zou, J.; Weaver, S.; Swanson, K. A.; Cai, H.; Cutler, M.; Cooper, D.; Muik, A.; Jansen, K. U.; Sahin, U.; Xie, X.; Dormitzer, P. R.; Shi, P.-Y.

doi:10.1101/2021.09.13.460163

bioRxiv · 10.1101/2021.09.13.460163

BNT162b2-Elicited Neutralization of Delta Plus, Lambda, and Other Variants

Liu, J.·Liu, Y.·Xia, H.·Zou, J.·Weaver, S.·Swanson, K. A.·Cai, H.·Cutler, M.·Cooper, D.·Muik, A.·Jansen, K. U.·Sahin, U.·Xie, X.·Dormitzer, P. R.·Shi, P.-Y.

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Abstract

BNT162b2-elicited human sera are known to neutralize the currently dominant Delta SARS-CoV-2 variant. Here, we report the ability of 20 human sera, drawn 2 or 4 weeks after two doses of BNT162b2, to neutralize USA-WA1/2020 SARS-CoV-2 bearing variant spikes from Delta plus (Delta-AY.1, Delta-AY.2), Delta-{Delta}144 (Delta with the Y144 deletion of the Alpha variant), Lambda, and B. 1.1.519 lineage viruses. Geometric mean plaque reduction neutralization titers against Delta-AY.1, Delta-AY.2, and Delta-{Delta}144 viruses are slightly lower than against USA-WA1/2020, but all sera neutralize the variant viruses to titers of [≥]80. Neutralization titers against Lambda and B. 1.1.519 variants and against USA-WA1/2020 are equivalent. The susceptibility of Delta plus, Lambda, and other variants to neutralization by the sera indicates that antigenic change has not led to virus escape from vaccine-elicited neutralizing antibodies and supports ongoing mass immunization with BNT162b2 to control the variants and to minimize the emergence of new variants.

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Liu, J., Liu, Y., Xia, H., Zou, J., Weaver, S., Swanson, K. A., Cai, H., Cutler, M., Cooper, D., Muik, A., Jansen, K. U., Sahin, U., Xie, X., Dormitzer, P. R., Shi, P.-Y.. 2021-09-14. BNT162b2-Elicited Neutralization of Delta Plus, Lambda, and Other Variants. https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.09.13.460163

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