Moderna to begin phase 3 testing of coronavirus vaccine candidate with 30,000 participants next month

Moderna headquarters on May 08, 2020 in Cambridge, Massachusetts

(Image credit: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

published 11 June 2020

Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine candidate looks set to head into phase three testing next month.

The company said on Thursday it has finalized the protocol for the third phase of testing of its potential coronavirus vaccine, Time reports. Phase three is expected to begin in July and include 30,000 subjects, the company said.

Moderna previously announced some "positive" interim data from phase one testing of the vaccine candidate, saying that eight patients developed neutralizing antibodies at levels on par with those who recovered from COVID-19. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, called this "really quite promising," although experts are anticipating the release of more data. The company's phase two study is underway, Time notes.

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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.

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