First COVID-19 vaccine shows promising results

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A COVID-19 vaccine developed by the biotechnology company, Moderna, has shown promise in key early trial, producing immune responses in all persons it was tested on.

The study, which involved 45 healthy adults aged 18-55 years, showed that the vaccine worked to trigger an immune responses in all the participants.

The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Tuesday, was co-developed by researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

The researchers evaluated two vaccinations, 28 days apart, with mRNA-1273 in a dose of 25 μg, 100 μg, or 250 μg and the initial results from participants showed that the antibody responses among participants were higher with higher dose.

However, the study showed that participants experienced mild side effects such as fatigue, chills, headache, myalgia (muscle pain or muscle ache) xx and pain at the injection location.

The researchers, led by Lisa Jackson, noted that “the mRNA-1273 vaccine induced anti–SARS-CoV-2 immune responses in all participants, and no trial-limiting safety concerns were identified. These findings support further development of this vaccine.”

On the safety of the vaccine, they said “no serious adverse events were noted, and no pre-specified trial halting rules were met.”

They added that “local adverse events, when present, were nearly all mild or moderate, and pain at the injection site was common.

“Across both vaccinations, solicited systemic and local adverse events that occurred in more than half the participants included fatigue, chills, headache, myalgia, and pain at the injection site.”

The researchers said the safety and immunogenicity findings support advancement of the mRNA-1273 vaccine to later-stage clinical trials.

“Of the three doses evaluated, the 100-μg dose elicits high neutralization responses and Th1-skewed CD4 T cell responses, coupled with a reactogenicity profile that is more favourable than that of the higher dose.

“A phase 2 trial of mRNA-1273 in 600 healthy adults, evaluating doses of 50 μg and 100 μg, is ongoing.

“A large phase 3 efficacy trial, expected to evaluate a 100-μg dose, is anticipated to begin during the summer of 2020,” they explained.