Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness

March 16, 2021

Antibody Evasion by the Brazilian P.1 Strain of SARS-CoV-2

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  • [Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] The SARS-CoV-2 P.1 variant, which has caused large outbreaks in Brazil, is less resistant to neutralization from both convalescent serum and vaccine-induced serum than the B.1.351 variant originally identified in South Africa, despite containing similar receptor binding domain (RBD) mutations (E484K, K417N/T and N501Y). Similar to the B.1.351 variant, mutations associated with the P1 variant completely abrogated the binding of multiple neutralizing antibodies directed against the RBD, including a variety of antibodies currently in development for therapeutic use. In contrast, the reduction in neutralization activity of convalescent plasma from recovered volunteers against the P.1 variant was only modest (~3-fold reduction versus the ancestral Victoria strain) when compared to the reduction in neutralization observed with B.1.351 variant (~13-fold reduction versus the Victoria strain).  Sera from recipients of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Oxford-Aztrazeneca vaccine had similar modest reductions in neutralization activity (~3-fold) when compared to the reductions in neutralization observed with the B.1.351 variant (~8-9 fold). 

Dejnirattisai et al. Antibody Evasion by the Brazilian P.1 Strain of SARS-CoV-2. Pre-print downloaded Mar 16 from https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.03.12.435194