By Chathushka Perera
NEW YORK, USA (CWBN)_ According to preliminary data, the Modern vaccine, developed in partnership with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (US) and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (US), has reached an effectiveness of 94.5% during its Phase III trials.
The largely government funded vaccine uses messenger RNA (mRNA), which cause the body to produce spike proteins triggering an immune response. The development process, which began in January with a cheque of USD 1 billion, reached Phase III trials in late July, enrolling about 30,000 volunteers.
Although the trials will proceed to conclusion, Moderna has already made agreements with Japan, Canada and Qatar. The company also has a similar deal with the US to provide up to 100 million doses for an additional USD 1.5 billion and will be applying to US regulators in a matter of weeks with an initial batch of 20 million doses to be used in the US.
Although no serious side effects to the vaccines have been reported, there have been temporary cases of pain, headaches and fatigue associated with the vaccine.
The news regarding Moderna arrives just a week after the Pfizer-BioNTech study of its mRNA-based vaccine reported an effectiveness of about 90% with “no serious safety concerns”, however, it is possible that upon conclusion of the studies the ratings may shift.
Edited by Elishya Perera
