Moderna may seek FDA authorization for COVID-19 vaccine in December
A COVID-19 vaccine from rival Pfizer is more than 90% effective, based on interim trial results
Moderna Inc. said Wednesday it's on track to report early data from a late-stage trial of its experimental coronavirus vaccine later this month, and could file for U.S. emergency use authorization in early December.
The company may have to wait for two-month follow-up safety data to apply for U.S. emergency use authorization, even after reporting positive interim data on the vaccine's effectiveness.
FAUCI SAYS PFIZER CORONAVIRUS VACCINE LIKELY AVAILABLE IN HIGH-RISK CASES BY DECEMBER
Moderna said it expects the safety data in the second half of this month.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MRNA | MODERNA INC. | 44.26 | +1.20 | +2.79% |
| PFE | PFIZER INC. | 25.82 | -0.39 | -1.49% |
Hopes of the world soon getting an effective vaccine against the virus that has killed over a million people were raised on Monday after Pfizer said its COVID-19 vaccine was more than 90% effective based on interim trial results.
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There are no vaccines that have gained global approval yet, although a handful, including Moderna's, are in late-stage studies.
It was too early to guess how effective Moderna's vaccine could be, chief executive officer Stephane Bancel said at a Credit Suisse conference.
The world would have to wait for more data to understand whether the use of a particular vaccine would be more widespread, Bancel said.
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Moderna, which uses a technology similar to Pfizer's, finished enrolling 30,000 volunteers in its late-stage study last month.
Public health experts have said it is likely that more than one vaccine would be needed to control the pandemic.