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The Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine appears to be highly effective against a more contagious variant of the virus first discovered in Brazil, according to a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, raising hopes that ongoing vaccination efforts will help curb the variant’s spread. The study, conducted by Pfizer scientists and researchers at the University of Texas, comes as public health experts warn that the more transmissible variants could drive yet another surge in covid-19 cases, particularly as restrictions are lifted across the United States. (Cunningham, 3/9)

The study tested serum samples taken from people either two or four weeks after they had received their second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech shot. That was pitted against viruses that had been engineered to have mutations from the three virus lineages. (Loh, 3/9)

In previously published studies, Pfizer had found that its vaccine neutralized other more contagious variants first identified in the United Kingdom and South Africa, although the South African variant may reduce protective antibodies elicited by the vaccine. Pfizer has said it believes its current vaccine is highly likely to still protect against the South African variant. However, the drugmaker is planning to test a third booster dose of their vaccine as well as a version retooled specifically to combat the variant in order to better understand the immune response. (Erman, 3/8)

Pfizer has tapped its McPherson, Kansas, manufacturing plant for fill-finish work as it hustles to double its weekly COVID-19 vaccine output in the U.S. But the facility has a history of problems—and found itself in the FDA's crosshairs as recently as last January. Pfizer’s McPherson plant was dinged by FDA inspectors for quality and cleanliness issues during a visit in late 2019 and early 2020, according to an inspection report obtained by Bloomberg via the Freedom of Information Act. (Kansteiner, 3/5)