While the development of COVID-19 vaccines is still in the early stages, a set of data from Moderna shows promising signs of efficacy, Managed Healthcare reported.
Moderna, a drug manufacturer, is working on a vaccine for the coronavirus and they are pleased to report that it may trigger an immune response within the body. This immune response is said to create neutralizing antibodies which has been known to protect the body from developing severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), which is related to the coronavirus.
Chief health economist, Dr. Lisa Kennedy, spoke to the vaccine development process and the hopes that society and the medical community holds for them.
“Currently, there is a lot of pressure on the pharmaceutical industry to accelerate vaccines and treatments that will not only improve hospital capacity but save lives and prevent the virus altogether,” Kennedy told Managed Health. “We’re seeing history being made with the development of innovative solutions for COVID-19 virus. These will have wide-reaching and long-term impact, changing how drugs and vaccines are developed.”
As of now, vaccine development is moving faster than it has ever done so before, with timelines suggesting 12-18 months before one is ready for distribution. This is a feat of cooperation between numerous sectors including the medical, biotechnical and pharmaceutical industries.
A vaccine may be ready by September 2020 but even with that accelerated release date, over 100,000 coronavirus deaths in the U.S. have already ravaged the nation.
Even so, if the vaccine can be released in 2020, it may be useful if the second round of the pandemic appears, as health experts are cautioning may be the case.
Moderna’s first phase study has been completed, yielding overwhelmingly positive results. Phase 2 has been granted authorization by the FDA, given the positive results from the first round of testing.
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