Solving COVID: May 20, 2020

A potential vaccine shows early promise, doctors see signs of hope, and more

Vaccination.
(Image credit: Illustrated | AP Images)

1. Potential coronavirus vaccine shows early promise

Massachusetts biotechnology company Moderna announced Monday that its potential COVID-19 vaccine showed promising early results in clinical trials. Eight patients developed antibodies at levels similar to those of people who recovered from the coronavirus, the company said. Critics caution that Moderna did not publish all the data, and say the announcement was too vague to draw any conclusions. "These are partial findings from a small, early-stage study," Boston Globe reports. "It's not known whether the dozens of other people in the study will have the same results." But Moderna described the interim data as "positive," with Chief Medical Officer Tal Zaks saying that the findings, though early, "substantiate our belief that mRNA-1273 has the potential to prevent COVID-19 disease." Moderna is moving into phase two of its clinical trials, having received approval from the Food and Drug Administration, and it says the third phase is expected to begin in the summer.

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