the answers that are needed – aiming to provide immediate support to those most vulnerable to COVID-19 to “This is a pivotal moment in the development of our COVID-19 vaccine candidate,” said Stéphane Bancel, CEO of Moderna. “We have chased this virus with the intent to protect as many people around the world as possible. All along, we have known that each day matters. This positive interim analysis from our Phase 3 study has given us the first clinical validation that our vaccine can prevent COVID-19 disease, including severe disease. This milestone is only possible because of the hard work and sacrifices of so many. I want to thank the thousands of participants in our Phase 1, Phase 2 and Phase 3 studies, and the staff at our clinical trial sites who have been on the front lines of the fight against the virus. They are an inspiration to us all.”
Moderna received $1 billion from the U.S. government’s Operation Warp Speed to help develop its mRNA vaccine and $1.5 billion for future distribution. The company aims to provide the U.S. government with 20 million doses by the end of the month although there is still uncertainty about the length of time that the protection from the vaccine would last.
On Monday, Moderna applied to the Food and Drug Administration to authorize the vaccine for emergency use, providing the possibility for the first shots to be given as early as December 21st if authorization is granted.
More than 64 million coronavirus cases have been confirmed globally with the U.S. accounting for over 20% (13.7 million) of the total cases, according to data from the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.
Unfortunately, death rates have been climbing as exposure spreads — more than 270,000 U.S. and over 1.4 million global deaths have been reported.