NEW YORK • Moderna's experimental Covid-19 vaccine, the first to be tested in the US, produced protective antibodies in a small group of healthy volunteers, according to very early data released by the biotech company on Monday.
The data comes from eight people who took part in a 45-subject safety trial that kicked off in March.
The Moderna vaccine is one of more than 100 under development intended to protect against the coronavirus that has infected more than 4.9 million people globally and killed over 320,000.
Overall, the study showed the vaccine was safe and that all study participants produced antibodies against the virus.
An analysis of the response in the eight individuals showed that those who got a 100 microgram dose and people who received a 25 mcg dose had levels of protective antibodies to fend off the virus that exceeded those found in the blood of people who recovered from Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus.
The news, issued in a release by the US biotechnology company, lifted shares of Moderna by 20 per cent. The stock later fell 1.6 per cent in extended trading after the company said it plans to sell US$1.25 billion (S$1.77 billion) in common stock to raise money for vaccine development and manufacturing.
"These are significant findings but it is a phase I clinical trial that only included eight people. It was designed for safety, not for efficacy," said Dr Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease expert at the Johns Hopkins University Centre for Health Security, who was not involved in the study.
The very early data offers a glimmer of hope for a vaccine among the most advanced in development.
Dr Adalja said many glitches can occur between now and the time this vaccine is tested for efficacy in thousands of people. "What we do see is encouraging," he said.
Scientists are trying to understand what level of antibodies will ultimately prove protective against the coronavirus, and how long that protection will last.
Moderna said the vaccine appeared to show a dose response, meaning that people who took the 100 mcg dose produced more antibodies than those who got the lower dose. The vaccine has been given the green light to start the second stage of human testing.
Last week, regulators in the United States gave the vaccine "fast track" status to speed up the regulatory review.
In the phase II, or midstage, trial designed to further test effectiveness and find the optimal dose, Moderna said it will drop plans to test a 250 mcg dose and test a 50 mcg dose instead.
REUTERS
