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Coronavirus: Moderna to enter final stage of human trials

Moderna, US biotech company focused on drug discovery and drug development, on Tuesday, July 14, stated that it would enter the final stage of human trials for the vaccine for coronavirus this month.

Coronavirus: Moderna to enter final stage of human trials
SHARES

Moderna, US biotech company focused on drug discovery and drug development, on Tuesday, July 14 stated that it would enter the final stage of human trials for the vaccine for coronavirus. This is to happen on July 27.

The announcement came after the results from an earlier trial intended to prove the vaccine was safe and activated antibody production were published. The upcoming trial is a phase-three trial that is said to recruit 30,000 participants in the US, with half to receive the vaccine at 100 microgram dose levels, and the other half to receive a placebo. The researchers will then track them over two years to comprehend if they are protected against the contagious disease or, if they do get infected, whether the vaccine prevents symptoms from developing. Even if the people develop symptoms, the vaccine will still be considered to be a success if it helps severe cases of the coronavirus.

According to media reports, the study should continue until October 27, 2022, but preliminary results should be available long before. The announcement came right after the New England Journal of Medicine published results from the first stage of the vaccine trial of Moderna which showed that the first 45 participants had developed antibodies to the coronavirus. However, scientists have long opined that the first vaccines to come to the market might not be the safest or the most effective ones. Earlier, Moderna had published "interim results" from the first stages of its trial, called Phase one in May.

Meanwhile, Bharat Biotech, a leading vaccine and bio-therapeutics manufacturers, has developed Covaxin with ICMR’s Pune-based National Institute of Virology. Covaxin is all geared up to start its first phase of human trials. According to sources, volunteers at 14 different locations across India are undergoing what is termed as “safety and screening” study to evaluate all the parameters.

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