Moderna to start analyzing COVID-19 vaccine data for possible release
The information is being prepared for submission to the trial's independent data safety monitoring board, which will look at the results and make a recommendation.
By REUTERSVials with a sticker reading, "COVID-19 / Coronavirus vaccine / Injection only" and a medical syringe are seen in front of a displayed Moderna logo in this illustration taken October 31, 2020.(photo credit: REUTERS/DADO RUVIC/ILLUSTRATION)
Moderna Inc said on Wednesday that it has enough data to begin its first planned interim analysis from the late-stage trial of its experimental COVID-19 vaccine, a potential step toward establishing the vaccine's efficacy.Moderna did not say when it plans to release data on how effective the vaccine is, but the information is being prepared for submission to the trial's independent data safety monitoring board, which will look at the results and make a recommendation.The company said in a press release that it has seen a significant increase in the number of COVID-19 cases among the participants in its trial, which includes individuals who received a placebo, as infection rates have surged around the United States.Due to the spike in cases, the analysis will cover substantially more than 53 cases, which had been the targeted trigger point for the analysis.Earlier in the day, Anthony Fauci, the top US infectious disease expert, said the company could have data from anywhere between "a couple of days" to "a little more than a week."A high degree of effectiveness for the vaccine would make sense as it is "almost identical" to a Pfizer shot, Fauci, director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said at a conference organized by the Financial Times."It may not be 95%, it might be 90%, or 96%, or 89%, but it is going to be up there," he said.Hopes of an effective vaccine against the virus that has killed over a million people worldwide were raised on Monday when Pfizer Inc said its COVID-19 vaccine was more than 90% effective based on interim trial results.Moderna, which uses a technology similar to Pfizer's, said earlier on Wednesday that its November timeline for initial data was on track.Moderna did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on when it would disclose the data.
The company would still have to wait for two-month follow-up data on safety, which is expected in the second half of this month, before applying for US emergency use authorization.There are no vaccines that have gained global approval yet, although a handful, including Moderna's, are in late-stage studies.Moderna's shares were up roughly 7% at $81.25 in afternoon trading.
