Drug makers are racing to create a solution to the pandemic pains and help those who have been disproportionately affected by coronavirus disease 2019 – even offering vaccine tests that included approximately 3,000 blacks to close the gap in health equity.
Although the participation of blacks compared to other ethnic groups was low in Moderna’s phase three clinical trials this fall, the overall results proved to be a success. Last month, biotech giant Moderna announced that its clinical trials for the novel coronavirus was 94.5% effective.
“These are obviously very exciting results,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country’s top infectious disease specialist. “It’s just as good as it gets — 94.5% is truly outstanding.”
Moderna, one of the pioneers in mRNA technology, is a Massachusetts-based company that is on the road to major breakthroughs in vaccine development against coronavirus.
In fact, it was the second company to report positive results after pharmaceutical powerhouse Pfizer revealed its vaccine was over 90% effective in treating the virus.
However, Moderna’s vaccine trials experienced a delay in October after the company’s private contractors had limited success in enlisting enough Black volunteers.
The clinical trial, conducted in collaboration with Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, included more than 30,000 volunteers in the US aged 18 and over.
There were approximately 7,000 volunteers over age 65. About 5,000 volunteers were under the age of 65 with high-risk diabetes, cardiac disease, and obesity. There were twice as many Hispanic volunteers than Blacks: 6,000 vs. 3000.
In a Press Release dated November 16th, 2020, Moderna said:
