By: Priyam Nayak
June 25 2020
Moderna's phase 1 trial of their COVID-19 vaccine candidate has shown positive results. Phase 2 trials are underway and phase 3 will start in July.
Moderna's phase 1 trial of their COVID-19 vaccine candidate has shown positive results. Phase 2 trials are underway and phase 3 will start in July. U.S. biotech company Moderna Inc has already started phase II trials for its COVID-19 vaccine candidate mRNA-1273. Chief Executive Officer Stephane Bancel announced that efficacy data for the vaccine could be available by November if everything goes right. Final-stage trials of the Moderna vaccine is set to begin next month and will include 30,000 people. The trial will test just one dose level of the vaccine - 100 micrograms, given in two shots. In phase 1, the company had tested lower and higher doses on 45 healthy volunteers. The preliminary results of this trial revealed by the company showed that 100 micrograms evoked the desired immune response safely. The company said the vaccine produced antibodies against the COVID-19 virus in those who were vaccinated, and in some of the participants, those antibodies were able to neutralize the virus in the lab. The full details of the study are yet to be published. The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a lot of potentially dangerous misinformation. For reliable advice on COVID-19 including symptoms, prevention and available treatment, please refer to the World Health Organisation or your national healthcare authority.