Moderna starts dosing patients for phase III Covid-19 vaccine clinical trial

Moderna has started to dose patients in its 30,000-strong phase three clinical trial of its Covid-19 vaccine candidate, mRNA-1273.

The Coronavirus Efficacy (COVE) study's primary endpoint is to determine whether the vaccine can prevent symptomatic Covid-19 disease, with key secondary endpoints including prevention of the need for hospitalisation and prevention of the illness, regardless of the symptoms.

Cambridge, Massachussetts-based Moderna also confirmed that it was on track to manufacture as many as 500m doses, and perhaps twice that volume, annually, starting from 2021.

COVE, the first phase three trial being carried out under the auspices of the US government's Warp speed programme, was being conducted alongside the US National Institutes of Health and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority.

Moderna had its own manufacturing capabilities in the US and had recently inked collaboration agreements for fill-finish manufacturing with New Jersey-based Catalent and Spain's ROVI, together with a strategic collaboration with Lonza.

As of 1327 BST, shares of Moderna were climbing 7.77% to $78.89.