BIO member Moderna began its coronavirus vaccine trial in Washington State, reports the AP. Here’s the scoop.
Yesterday, 4 healthy volunteers got the shot at Kaiser Permanente Washington Research Institute in Seattle, Washington, one of the hot spots of the outbreak in the United States.
Over the next two months, 45 volunteers ages 18-55 will get two doses of the trial vaccine. They will be followed for one year to see if the vaccine is safe and “induces the kind of response” to show it could potentially be effective, confirmed Dr. Anthony Fauci during yesterday’s Coronavirus Task Force press briefing.
Named mRNA-1273,the vaccine uses Moderna Inc.’s messenger RNA technology, which is a faster process and produces vaccines that don’t contain any of the actual virus. Study participants will receive different dosages to determine which strength is best.
What they’re saying: “I said it would be two to three months, and if we did that, that would be the fastest we’ve ever gone from obtaining the sequence to being able to do a Phase I trial. This has been now 65 days, which I believe is the record,” said Dr. Fauci.
What’s next: Even if everything goes well, a vaccine will not be available for widespread use for 12-18 months, reports the AP—but nonetheless we’re celebrating this achievement by the U.S. biotech industry now. Meanwhile, BIO members continue R&D on other kinds of vaccines and treatments while others have committed to offering manufacturing capacity, regardless of which company finds the successful therapies.
We’ll say it again: If any industry is equipped to collaborate at the level needed to translate the science into solutions for the coronavirus pandemic, it’s U.S. biotech.
More Health Care News:
Biopharma Dive: Fosun, Pfizer to help BioNTech join the mRNA race for a coronavirus vaccine
“BioNTech will work with China's Fosun Pharma to commercialize the vaccine—dubbed BNT162—in China and is in ‘advanced discussions' with existing partner Pfizer to do the same elsewhere. BioNTech will start human testing of the vaccine candidate next month.”
Biopharma Dive: Regeneron and Sanofi speed Kevzara into coronavirus trials
“Rheumatoid arthritis drug Kevzara will be used in an international study of patients infected with the new coronavirus and suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome…The trial will kick off in disease hotspot New York City, expanding to a total of 16 U.S. sites and enrolling 400 patients.”
STAT: As the coronavirus spreads, a drug that once raised the world’s hopes is given a second shot
“There’s only one drug right now that we think may have real efficacy,” Bruce Aylward of the World Health Organization said last month. “And that’s remdesivir.”