The experimental Moderna coronavirus vaccine (MRNA), which showed that the treatment was not only effective, but produced a significant amount of COVID-19 antibodies, boosted markets and fueled hopes for a vaccine by the end of this year, a as the pandemic continues to spread.
Data from the Phase 1 clinical trial, published Tuesday night in the New England Journal of Medicine, confirmed the company’s positive statements.
It is still unclear whether the vaccine, which requires two injections within a month, can completely block the virus. But if successful, the Moderna candidate would be the first product to hit the market, as well as the first vaccine to use its proprietary mRNA technology.
And company officials expressed optimism on Wednesday about some level of buffering from the effects of the virus, especially as new diagnoses soar worldwide, and continue unchecked in the United States.
The final phase of the trials, which will begin on July 27, will better inform the effectiveness of the vaccine.
Chief Executive Stephane Bancel told analysts in a call Wednesday that discussions have barely begun about how the vaccine is likely to be distributed. Through Operation Warp Speed, US officials have set an ambitious schedule to begin production of a candidate this year.
Although no details were given, Bancel said the federal government would be in charge. “We consider that the association with the government is very important … it is not up to the private company to make that decision,” he added.
Coronavirus cases continue to rise outside of New York. (Graphic: David Foster / Yahoo Finance)
Biotechnology stocks have skyrocketed since late February, when its association with the National Institute of Health began evaluating a vaccine candidate. The company hit a record $ 88 a share, breaking the May 18 high of $ 87 a share, when Moderna announced positive interim results for Phase 1 testing.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the United States is likely to have a vaccine ready to distribute this year. Meanwhile, officials with the US Department of Health and Human Services recently said they are confident that a vaccine will be ready for winter, if not sooner.
The optimism fueled by the Moderna news comes as the global pandemic continues to hamper economic recovery in the United States. The country has now exceeded 3.4 million cases, while global cases exceed 13.3 million.
An increase in the solar belt has made the United States a global epicenter, with states like Arizona, Texas, Florida and California facing tensions in the health systems and an incessant increase in cases. In San Antonio, freezer trucks line up to contain the bodies of the dead, as hospitals run out of space, increasing the specter of New York City’s struggles as it faced an equally grim phase during the peak of its outbreak.
The political class is increasingly falling victim to the virus, with Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt announcing he tested positive for the virus, following the announcement by Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms last week.
CDC chief backs masks
Meanwhile, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Robert Redfield got himself into the growing internal political debate about public masking. Redfield endorsed what many experts have argued for months: Wearing a mask helps prevent further spread.
Redfield’s remarks came as Walmart, the country’s largest employer, said it would require coverage of employees and customers starting Monday.
“We are not defenseless against COVID-19,” he said, adding that the virus could be under control in two months with universal adoption.
Cloth liners are one of the most powerful weapons we have to slow and stop the spread of the virus, particularly when used universally in a community setting. All Americans have a responsibility to protect themselves, their families and their communities, “said Redfield.
His comments come just as the White House ordered hospitals to bypass the CDC and instead send the case numbers directly to him, according to new guidance from the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). .
The move has experts concerned that it may be used for political reasons, a change in the science-based orientation that the United States urgently needs.
Yahoo’s medical collaborator Dr. Dara Kass said on Twitter that the move is not helpful for the response.
“As far as I can tell, the federal government wants to control the data that tells us how we are doing it, but it does not give us the resources to do it really well. Am I missing something? “She said.
Former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, who served in the Trump administration, also criticized the Trump administration’s move.
“They have the scientific expertise to remove this data in a way that no other agency does,” Gottlieb said of the CDC.
