A candidate vaccine for COVID-19 developed by the drugmaker Moderna appears to generate an immune response similar to the response seen in people who have been infected by the virus and recovered, the company said Monday.
In a Phase 1 trial, eight patients who received two doses of the vaccine at the lowest and middle doses tested — 25 and 100 micrograms — developed neutralizing antibodies to the virus at levels similar to people who had recovered from infection, the company said in a statement.
The data were limited and from only a small number of participants in the trial, led by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. But they are still likely to be seen as encouraging.
“These interim Phase 1 data, while early, demonstrate that vaccination with mRNA-1273 elicits an immune response of the magnitude caused by natural infection starting with a dose as low as 25 μg,” said Tal Zaks, Moderna’s chief medical officer.
A Phase 2 trial has already been given the go-ahead by the Food and Drug Administration. CEO Stéphane Bancel said the company is pushing forward with a Phase 3 trial set to start in July and is ramping up its capacity to manufacture the vaccine.