July 14, 2020

expert reaction to mRNA-1273 vaccine candidate phase 1 trial

A paper, published in New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), reports on the preliminary results of an mRNA-1273 vaccine candidate phase 1 trial.

Dr Andrew Freedman, Reader in Infectious Diseases and Honorary Consultant Physician, University of Cardiff, said:

“While these are preliminary results, they are certainly encouraging in terms of both safety and stimulation of antibody production. They support the plan to initiate a much larger phase 3 trial (using the 100 ug dose), which is required before we know whether this vaccine is effective in preventing COVID-19 infection”

Comment when only the draft abstract was available:

“This is a draft abstract and we need to await the full report to make firm conclusions. However, it does suggest that this novel vaccine, using messenger RNA rather than protein, is able to stimulate antibody production in a dose-dependent fashion.  Importantly, the antibodies generated were able to neutralise the virus in laboratory assays.

“The side effects experienced by more than half the participants are quite common after other vaccinations, although the ‘more severe adverse events’ experienced by three of the subjects given the highest dose may mean that dose is too high to take forward.

“Phase 2 studies of this vaccine are already underway, but it will require larger, phase 3 studies to be completed to determine whether it is effective in preventing COVID-19.”

‘An mRNA Vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 – Preliminary Report’ by L.A. Jackson et al. was  published at 22:00 UK time on Tuesday 14 July

All our previous output on this subject can be seen at this weblink:

www.sciencemediacentre.org/tag/covid-19

Declared interests

Dr Andrew Freedman: I have no conflicts of interest.

None others received.