The modern biotech company announced this Thursday that the third and final phase of its vaccine against COVID-19 would begin in July, in which some 30,000 people will participate and with which it hopes to avoid symptomatic cases of the virus, prevent the mass outbreak of the disease and avoid overflow of patients in hospitals.
In a statement, Moderna, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, stated that they could manufacture between 500 million and 1 billion doses a year starting in 2021 after reaching a collaboration agreement with the Swiss pharmaceutical company Lonza at the same time that they have guaranteed distribution of the doses necessary to complete the study.
The biotech company completed phase two of the study last month with 300 adults who had received at least one injection and is now preparing, from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institute of Allergy and Diseases Infectious (NIAID), to launch phase three next month.
"Based on the results of the phase 1 study, the 100 microgram (μg) dose level was chosen as the optimal dose level to maximize the immune response while minimizing adverse reactions," the biotech noted in the note.
Moderna chief medical officer Tal Zaks said the company was committed to advancing the clinical development of its
vaccine "as quickly and safely as possible" to demonstrate the
vaccine's ability to reduce the risks of
COVID-19. .
According to Moderna, all participants will be monitored for at least 12 months.
After the announcement, the biotech company experienced a significant rise in the stock market. So far this year, the company has appreciated by more than 220% on Wall Street.