Moderna Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA) announced the release of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate data showing its effectiveness. The data showed that the vaccine was almost 95% effective in protecting people from SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to the placebo group.
Moderna COVID-19 shows 95% effectiveness
The company announced that it had enough data from human participants in the study to commence the initial analysis. The company indicated that around 53 people in the trial contracted the coronavirus, which is the minimum number required for review by an independent data safety monitoring board. In a statement, the company said that there had been a significant increase in case identification rate across all study sites.
In the trial that recruited 30,000 participants, around half received two doses of the Moderna vaccine four weeks apart while the rest received a placebo. The company’s analysis relied on the first 95 people to get an infection, and only five cases were reported in those that received the vaccine while 90 were from the placebo group. Moderna says that the vaccine is 94.5% effective, with data showing that there were only 11 cases of severe COVID-19 with none of the people that were vaccinated were infected. Moderna Chief Medical officer Tal Zaks said that the overall effectiveness of the vaccine has been remarkable.
Moderna’s trial enrolled participants from minority groups and old people
Out of the total number of study participants, around 37% were from minority communities, 42% were aged or people with underlying conditions putting them at risk of severe disease. The ratio of males to females was 53% to 47%.
The Moderna vaccine uses messenger RNA (mRNA) technology, a new approach employing genetic material to trigger an immune response. Already the company has signed supply deals for the supply of the vaccine once proved safe and effective. The FDA said it would approve a COVDI-19 vaccine proven to be safe and over 50% effective. The agency also indicated that drugmakers should provide around two months of safety data following vaccination before applying for emergency use authorization.
