Experimental Coronavirus Vaccine Shows Promise in Early-Stage Clinical Trial

Strategic Insights -

A groundbreaking coronavirus vaccine, mRNA-1273, developed by Moderna Inc. in collaboration with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), has demonstrated robust immune responses against SARS-CoV-2 and raised no serious safety concerns in a phase 1 clinical trial. The vaccine, which uses genetic material to produce a protein that stimulates an immune response, has shown promise in preventing infection in early findings published in the New England Journal of Medicine. This development comes as the world grapples with the unrelenting COVID-19 pandemic, which has sickened over 13 million people and killed at least 572,746 worldwide.

Key Takeaways:

  • The phase 1 clinical trial of mRNA-1273 enrolled 45 healthy volunteers ages 18 to 55, who received two vaccinations 28 days apart, with follow-up through day 57 and continued monitoring for one year after the second vaccination.
  • The vaccine induced a robust neutralizing antibody response in healthy volunteers, similar to responses in people who had COVID-19, according to researchers.
  • The phase 3 trial, expected to begin this summer, will evaluate the effectiveness of mRNA-1273 for the prevention of COVID-19 compared to no vaccine.
  • The mRNA-1273 vaccine uses genetic material encoding the SARS-COV-2 spike protein, the target of many candidate SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, which stimulates an immune response against the virus.
  • The concept and design of the spike protein encoded in the Moderna vaccine was developed by Barney Graham, MD, PhD, a former Vanderbilt faculty member who is now deputy director of the NIAID Vaccine Research Center.
  • The studies at VUMC are supported by the NIAID (grant AI148684), the Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (grant TR002243), and the Dolly Parton COVID-19 Research Fund.
  • The researchers found that the vaccine induces a robust neutralizing antibody response, which can neutralize live SARS-CoV-2 and prevent the virus from infecting cultured cells.

Statistics:

  • 13 million+ people worldwide have been sickened by COVID-19 as of July 14, 2020.
  • 572,746+ deaths have been attributed to COVID-19 worldwide as of July 14, 2020.
  • 45 healthy volunteers ages 18 to 55 enrolled in the phase 1 clinical trial.
  • 2 vaccinations 28 days apart were administered to trial participants.
  • The phase 3 trial is expected to begin this summer.

Sources:

  • New England Journal of Medicine, published article on phase 1 clinical trial of mRNA-1273.
  • Vanderbilt University, press release on experimental coronavirus vaccine.
  • National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), grant AI148684.
  • Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, grant TR002243.
  • Dolly Parton COVID-19 Research Fund.