One company says it's on track to continue its COVID-19 vaccine candidate trial after it produced "robust" antibody results.
On Tuesday, Moderna released findings from its preliminary vaccine trials. The company said after administering the vaccine to 45 people in the trial, all of them produced antibodies that could potentially fight off the coronavirus. All participants received the vaccine twice, but at different dosages. Researchers say participants with higher dosages had stronger antibodies than those found in recovered COVID-19 patients, and they found no live traces of the coronavirus in participants.
Reported side effects ranged from pain at the injection site to headache, chills and muscle pain.
Unlike most vaccines, which introduce a small amount of a virus into a patient's system, Moderna's vaccine carries genetic material called mRNA. That mRNA is supposed to trigger an immune response in the body.
Moderna says its vaccine could protect people from the coronavirus for up to two years after two doses.
It's set to begin Phase 3 of its trial on July 27 with 30,000 participants.
