STAT+: Invivyd’s pursuit of a Covid vaccine alternative gets a lift, but an FDA hurdle may await

Adam Feuerstein is a senior writer and biotech columnist, reporting on the crossroads of drug development, business, Wall Street, and biotechnology. He is also a co-host of the weekly biotech podcast The Readout Loud and author of the newsletter Adam’s Biotech Scorecard. You can reach Adam on Signal at stataf.54.This story first appeared in Adam’s Biotech Scorecard, a STAT newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. And subscribe to STAT+ to get an unabridged version, with exclusive content. An update on Invivyd, the small biotech company developing an injectable, low-dose monoclonal antibody to protect against Covid-19 infection like a vaccine does, but without the real or perceived limitations of vaccines. I last wrote about Invivyd in this newsletter in August 2025. On Tuesday, Invivyd reported the results from a Phase 3 study called LIBERTY that demonstrated the superior safety and tolerability of its antibody candidate, VYD2311, compared against Comirnaty, the established mRNA-based Covid vaccine marketed by Pfizer. After six days, 57% of study participants who had VYD2311 injected into the muscle of their upper arm reported headaches, chills, fatigue or pain at the injection site — the typical side effects associated with vaccinations. In the Comirnaty arm of the study, 91% of participants reported the same side effects. The difference was statistically significant. The same study showed VYD2311 was also better tolerated at 56 days, and could be combined safely with Comirnaty. STAT+ Exclusive Story Already have an account? Log in This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers Unlock this article — plus in-depth analysis, newsletters, premium events, and news alerts. Already have an account? Log in View All Plans To read the rest of this story subscribe to STAT+. Subscribe