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In a preliminary analysis of a late-stage clinical trial, Moderna said its Covid-19 vaccine was 94.5 percent effective in humans. This is another sign of the success of the search for vaccines by scientists and pharmaceutical companies, thanks to the many new tools that can help monitor the progress of the pandemic.
Moderna’s positive results were published just one week after a similar announcement from Pfizer and BioNTech with more than 90% effectiveness. Currently, both vaccines are investigated using RNA. Consequently, in the future, millions of people around the world will be able to be cured thanks to this great advance.
According to Bloomberg, a preliminary analysis of experimental data on more than 30,000 volunteers found that Moderna’s vaccine could prevent almost all Covid-19 symptoms caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Once the vaccine is approved for use, administration will be a major challenge. Currently, the injection treatment is still under study. For example, Pfizer and BioNTech vaccines should be stored at extremely cold temperatures for a few days before use.
Meanwhile, Moderna says its vaccine can be kept refrigerated for 30 days, much longer than its previous estimate of 7 days. For longer storage, vaccines can be stored in the freezer, although special equipment such as the Pfizer vaccine is not required.
According to a data security monitoring board appointed by the National Institutes of Health, of the 30,000 volunteers who participated, 15,000 people were vaccinated, of which 5 were infected with Covid-19 and not. have severe cases; 15,000 people received placebo, with 90 people infected with Covid-19 and 11 severe cases. The results showed that the vaccine induces a protective immune response if exposed to the virus.
In addition, the vaccine is also effective in preventing the most serious symptoms of Covid-19. No trial participant reported severe symptoms after vaccination, compared with 11 cases who received a placebo, according to the Moderna report.
Moderna’s results come at a time when the epidemic is complicated. The number of infections in the United States surpassed 11 million on November 15, the highest level since July, while the number of deaths and hospitalizations is also increasing. In Europe, the number of Covid-19 infections is increasing as most of the world prepares for a “bad winter.”
Although the results are still in the preliminary stages, both Moderna and Pfizer hope to obtain emergency permits from the FDA if more studies show that their vaccines are safe. In today’s announcement, Moderna said it could put pressure on regulators in the coming weeks.
The pharmaceutical company said it plans to obtain an emergency vaccine license based on a final analysis of 151 Covid-19 infections, combined with secure 2-month follow-up data. request. These final data are expected to be announced in late November.
Both Moderna and Pfizer’s vaccines are made with RNA, which changes the body’s own cells into vaccine production. Once injected, the vaccine allows cells to produce a protein copy of the coronavirus, stimulating the production of protective antibodies.
For now, Moderna’s data analysis shows no major security issues. The company said some of the volunteers experienced severe fatigue, muscle, joint and headache after vaccination, although the side effect was short-lived.
During the vaccine trial, a certain number of volunteers, one of whom will receive a placebo injection, must be infected with Covid-19 to see if the vaccine is effective. Right now, the number of cases in the US is so high that they can quickly analyze it based on 95 cases.
Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said the number of cases is increasing and Moderna will have results on the last 151 cases by the end of this month, allowing them to complete their analytical data and apply for the license. emergency use.
Moderna’s latest testing phase begins on the same day as Pfizer in late July, but Pfizer is holding the company a little behind, largely due to differences in the structure of the studies. The 2 doses of Moderna’s vaccine are given 4 weeks apart, while the 2 doses of Pfizer are given over 3 weeks.
Prior to that, Moderna joined Operation Warp Speed (OWS), a program aimed at finding effective and safe Covid-19 drugs and vaccines in the US, and received $ 995 million to develop the vaccine. Additionally, the United States government also agreed to pay up to $ 1.53 billion to purchase the supply of this drug. Meanwhile, Pfizer said it has not received any federal funding to develop the vaccine, despite a $ 2 billion supply deal with the government.
Consult Bloomberg
