ArmInfo. The experimental vaccine against COVID-19, which is being developed by the American company Moderna, was able to elicit an immune response in all volunteers at an early stage of the study. Relevant data published in the journal New England Journal of Medicine, reports INTERFAX.RU
The study showed, the source notes, that some antibodies were produced after a single dose of the vaccine, but four weeks later a second dose was required, after which the vaccine elicited a strong immune response in all 45 volunteers. According to Moderna CEO Stefan Bansel, the results are "encouraging and represent an important step forward in the clinical development of mRNA-1273, our candidate for the COVID-19 vaccine".
According to the results published on Tuesday, the most frequently reported adverse events after administration of the second vaccination at a dose of 100 mcg were fatigue, chills, headache and muscle soreness, which quickly passed and manifested themselves in mild or moderate degrees. The study involved 45 healthy volunteers aged 18 to 55 at Seattle and Emory University in Georgia. Participants in the experiment were given three dose levels of Modern vaccine at 25, 100 and 250 micrograms. On July 27, Moderna is expected to begin a much larger study of the third-stage vaccine trial, which will bring together 30,000 participants in 87 locations.
According to Moderna, one group will be given 100 micrograms of the vaccine on the first day, and then again on the 29th day. The second group will receive for comparison two doses of placebo. Note that the co-founder and president of the Moderna biotechnology company is an American businessman of Armenian origin
Nubar Afeyan. Back in April of this year, the businessman noted that by the end of spring there will be results that can prove a safe vaccine approach. <Currently, 50 people are participating in the trials. Then we will move on to the second stage, in which more people will participate, and through various experiments we will begin to understand how much is most effective in the case of this vaccine. We hope this takes a few more months. We hope that by the beginning of autumn we will be able to move on to the third and final stage. We already have enough evidence that gives reason to hope that we will succeed>, said Nubar Afeyan then.