Johnson & Johnson said late Thursday that its single-shot COVID-19 vaccine showed strong promise against the Delta variant and other emerging strains and also offered durable protection against the infection more broadly.
Data showed that the durability of immune response for recipients of its vaccine lasted at least eight months, the healthcare firm said, adding that its vaccine was 85% effective and could also support prevent hospitalization and death.
First identified in India, Delta is becoming the globally dominant variant of the coronavirus, as per the World Health Organization.
"Current data for the eight months studied so far shows that the single-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine generates a strong neutralizing antibody response that does not wane; rather, we observe an improvement over time," Mathai Mammen, head of research & development at J&J's drugs business, cited in the statement.
Recipients of the vaccine produced strong neutralizing antibodies against all variants including the Delta, the US-based firm said.
The Delta variant contributed to a surge in COVID-19 cases in India that resulted in the highest daily death tally in the world, and also prompted the UK to delay its reopening by one month in June.
J&J has submitted data as a preprint to the website bioRxiv ahead of peer evaluation.
Other vaccine makers including Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna Inc, and AstraZeneca Plc have formerly said that their COVID-19 vaccines are effective against the fast-spreading Delta.
