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

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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The Food and Drug Administration previously gave a fast-track designation to Moderna's coronavirus vaccine candidate, and Moderna in its announcement said it "remains on track to be able to deliver approximately 500 million doses per year, and possibly up to 1 billion doses per year, beginning in 2021."