The United States top infectious disease official, Anthony Fauci, has vowed for the data of the two coronavirus vaccines being tested by&nbsp;Pfizer and Moderna.

Fauci spoke at a briefing from White House virus task force to talk about the rising concerns about the credibility of the two vaccines, given their speed of testing.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/confident-that-covid-19-vaccine-will-be-ready-in-3-4-months-indias-health-minister-344051">Confident that Covid-19 vaccine will be ready in 3-4 months: India's health minister</a>

Acknowledging the speed at which the two companies finished their successful trials, Fauci highlighted the advancement of the technology and quit wit of the scientists behind this success. "The process of the speed did not compromise at all safety nor did it compromise scientific integrity. It was a reflection of the extraordinary scientific advances in these types of vaccines which allowed us to do things in months that actually took years before," he said.

People all around the world are waiting for the production and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine to start as soon as possible, as the deadly virus has already tens of millions of people across the globe.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/oxford-astrazeneca-vaccine-safe-for-older-adults-results-show-344093">Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine safe for older adults, results show</a>

While people want to safeguard their lives and families' health through this, the vaccine has also become a political agenda in several countries — a quick way to gain voters' trust — such as the US and India.

Many are concerned these two vaccines have been rushed to meet political agendas of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/us-election">US elections</a>, in which <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;has defeated <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>. Fauci utilised this briefing to assure no such hindrance and manipulation has taken place in the whole process.

"It was actually an independent body of people who have no allegiance to anyone -- not to the administration, not to me, not to the companies -- that looked at the data and deemed it to be sound," he said. "So we need to put to rest any concept that this was rushed in an inappropriate way. This is really solid."

The United States top infectious disease official, Anthony Fauci, has vowed for the data of the two coronavirus vaccines being tested by Pfizer and Moderna. Fauci spoke at a briefing from White House virus task force to talk about the rising concerns about the credibility of the two vaccines, given their speed of testing.

The United States top infectious disease official, Anthony Fauci, has vowed for the data of the two coronavirus vaccines being tested by Pfizer and Moderna. Fauci spoke at a briefing from White House virus task force to talk about the rising concerns about the credibility of the two vaccines, given their speed of testing. Also read| Confident that Covid-19 vaccine will be ready in 3-4 months: India's health minister Acknowledging the speed at which the two companies finished their successful trials, Fauci highlighted the advancement of the technology and quit wit of the scientists behind this success. "The process of the speed did not compromise at all safety nor did it compromise scientific integrity. It was a reflection of the extraordinary scientific advances in these types of vaccines which allowed us to do things in months that actually took years before," he said. People all around the world are waiting for the production and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine to start as soon as possible, as the deadly virus has already tens of millions of people across the globe. Also read| Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine safe for older adults, results show While people want to safeguard their lives and families' health through this, the vaccine has also become a political agenda in several countries — a quick way to gain voters' trust — such as the US and India. Many are concerned these two vaccines have been rushed to meet political agendas of the US elections, in which Joe Biden has defeated Donald Trump. Fauci utilised this briefing to assure no such hindrance and manipulation has taken place in the whole process. "It was actually an independent body of people who have no allegiance to anyone -- not to the administration, not to me, not to the companies -- that looked at the data and deemed it to be sound," he said. "So we need to put to rest any concept that this was rushed in an inappropriate way. This is really solid."

Fauci guarantees accuracy in Pfizer, Moderna COVID-19 vaccine data

From Pfizer to Moderna, while vaccine makers are announcing efficacy rates of their shots - What do they mean for you? What's the next step? When will the vaccine finally reach you? WION's Molly Gambhir has the answers

Gravitas: Vaccine tracker

The vaccine candidates from Moderna and Pfizer are the front runners in the vaccine race. When will these vaccines be rolled out? When will India get a vaccine?

Gravitas: The two front runners in the vaccine race

On Monday, American company Moderna Inc announced a milestone in the development of its experimental COVID-19 vaccine. According to the company, the vaccine is 94.5 per cent effective. Today, Pfizer also announced that its vaccine is 95 per cent effective.

Participants in Moderna’s trials have revealed the side effects caused by the vaccine. Most commonly reported side effects include fever, arm pain, and fatigue.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/moderna-says-coronavirus-vaccine-945-effective-343623/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

One of the volunteers who received the Moderna jab spoke about his experience on “Fox and Friends”. The college student from the University of North Carolina, the participant shed light on the what happens to one after taking the vaccine.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/modernas-covid-19-vaccine-reaches-milestone-with-945-effectiveness-343509">Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine reaches milestone with 94.5% effectiveness</a>

The participant, Jack Morningstar received the initial dose of Modern’s vaccine. A month later, he received another job. He experienced side effects such as fatigue and some fever.

He also spoke about the misinformation being spread about the vaccines.&nbsp;

“As a tech-savvy person, I’ve become aware of a lot of the misinformation that’s being spread online about some of these vaccines and its process, and I’d just like to emphasise that I don’t think now’s the time to be fear mongering about vaccines,” he said during the interview with Fox and Friends.

While indirectly referring to people who believe conspiracy theories surrounding vaccines, including ones that claim vaccines cause autism (which have been disproven), he said that arm pain is a small price to pay when compared to the death count.

“I don’t think we should be fearful about a low-grade fever and little bit of arm pain. That’s nothing. But what we should be fearful of is a death tally of 240,000 that’s currently spiking at a terrifying rate, at that”, he said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/why-data-from-modernas-experimental-vaccine-is-truly-groundbreaking-343529">Why data from Moderna's experimental vaccine is truly groundbreaking</a>

Morningstar also claimed that he was able to deal with the side-effects by simply taking an ibuprofen. He also had some pain at the injection site, which is normal.

Moderna claims that the vaccine will remain stable at standard refrigerator temperature of 2-8 degree Celsius (36-48 degree F) for 30 days. Additionally, the vaccine may be stored for upto 6 months at -20 degrees Celsius.

Moderna’s data is based on analysis of 95 infections among participants in the trial. They received either a placebo or the vaccine.

Out of these, only five infections occurred among people who were inoculated, who were given the vaccine in two shots 28 days apart.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/a-vaccine-on-its-own-will-not-end-the-pandemic-says-who-chief-343501">'A vaccine on its own will not end the pandemic', says WHO chief</a>

Additionally, Moderna’s trials witnessed the participation of 30,000 people. And it was able to prevent severe cases of COVID-19, something Pfizer is yet to ascertain with its own vaccine.

Out of the 95 cases during Moderna’s trials, only 11 were severe. All of them occurred among patients who got the placebo. Moderna is part of the US government’s Operation Warp Speed programme, which intends to fast track vaccines for COVID-19, and its earliest deployment.

Just this year, the company intends to produce 20 million doses for the US. Out of these, millions have already been produced.&nbsp;Moderna is ready to ship these vaccines as soon as it received FDA authorisation.

On Monday, American company Moderna Inc announced a milestone in the development of its experimental COVID-19 vaccine. According to the company, the vaccine is 94.

On Monday, American company Moderna Inc announced a milestone in the development of its experimental COVID-19 vaccine. According to the company, the vaccine is 94.5 per cent effective. Today, Pfizer also announced that its vaccine is 95 per cent effective. Participants in Moderna’s trials have revealed the side effects caused by the vaccine. Most commonly reported side effects include fever, arm pain, and fatigue. One of the volunteers who received the Moderna jab spoke about his experience on “Fox and Friends”. The college student from the University of North Carolina, the participant shed light on the what happens to one after taking the vaccine. Also read: Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine reaches milestone with 94.5% effectiveness The participant, Jack Morningstar received the initial dose of Modern’s vaccine. A month later, he received another job. He experienced side effects such as fatigue and some fever. He also spoke about the misinformation being spread about the vaccines. “As a tech-savvy person, I’ve become aware of a lot of the misinformation that’s being spread online about some of these vaccines and its process, and I’d just like to emphasise that I don’t think now’s the time to be fear mongering about vaccines,” he said during the interview with Fox and Friends. While indirectly referring to people who believe conspiracy theories surrounding vaccines, including ones that claim vaccines cause autism (which have been disproven), he said that arm pain is a small price to pay when compared to the death count. “I don’t think we should be fearful about a low-grade fever and little bit of arm pain. That’s nothing. But what we should be fearful of is a death tally of 240,000 that’s currently spiking at a terrifying rate, at that”, he said. Also read: Why data from Moderna's experimental vaccine is truly groundbreaking Morningstar also claimed that he was able to deal with the side-effects by simply taking an ibuprofen. He also had some pain at the injection site, which is normal. Moderna claims that the vaccine will remain stable at standard refrigerator temperature of 2-8 degree Celsius (36-48 degree F) for 30 days. Additionally, the vaccine may be stored for upto 6 months at -20 degrees Celsius. Moderna’s data is based on analysis of 95 infections among participants in the trial. They received either a placebo or the vaccine. Out of these, only five infections occurred among people who were inoculated, who were given the vaccine in two shots 28 days apart. Also read: 'A vaccine on its own will not end the pandemic', says WHO chief Additionally, Moderna’s trials witnessed the participation of 30,000 people. And it was able to prevent severe cases of COVID-19, something Pfizer is yet to ascertain with its own vaccine. Out of the 95 cases during Moderna’s trials, only 11 were severe. All of them occurred among patients who got the placebo. Moderna is part of the US government’s Operation Warp Speed programme, which intends to fast track vaccines for COVID-19, and its earliest deployment. Just this year, the company intends to produce 20 million doses for the US. Out of these, millions have already been produced. Moderna is ready to ship these vaccines as soon as it received FDA authorisation.

A participant in Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine trials reveals its side effects

The United States' top infectious disease scientist on Monday hailed early trial results from Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine as "stunningly impressive," and said the findings were an emphatic validation of experimental mRNA technology that some had doubted.

In an interview with AFP, Anthony Fauci said he would have settled for injections that protected 70-75 percent of people from falling sick.

"The idea that we have a 94.5 percent effective vaccine is stunningly impressive. It is really a spectacular result that I don't think anybody had anticipated would be this good," he said.

Fauci leads the National Institutes of Allergies and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which began co-developing the vaccine with the US biotech company in January, shortly after China shared the genetic sequence of the new coronavirus.

It is based on a relatively new technology that uses a synthetic version of a molecule called "messenger RNA" to hack into human cells, and effectively turn them into vaccine-making factories.

No vaccine based on this platform has ever been approved.

"There were many people who had reservations about using something that had not been tried and true over the years; in fact, some people even criticized us for that," said Fauci.

On Monday, Moderna and NIAID announced their preliminary results based on 95 of the 30,000 volunteers they had recruited who fell ill with Covid-19.

Of the 95, 90 had been in the trial's placebo group, and five in the group that received the drug, called mRNA-1273, translating to an efficacy rate of 94.5 percent.

Fauci recalled that some had questioned whether the vaccine would prevent severe forms of Covid-19, not just mild or moderate cases -- and this too had been resoundingly answered.

"There were 11 severe events, none in the vaccine group -- 11 in the placebo group, so that settles the question of whether it prevents severe disease, which it definitely does."

- 'The data speak for themselves' -

It follows a similarly impressive result from American pharmaceutical firm Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech last week, who reported an efficacy of 90 percent for their vaccine.

Asked whether it was too early to say if mRNA technology had now been proven, Fauci -- who is usually known for his cautious statements -- said the jury was definitely in.

"I think when you have two vaccines like this, that have proven to be greater than 90 percent effective, I think that mRNA is here, it's established itself, it doesn't need to prove anything anymore.

"The data speak for themselves; it isn't me, it isn't my opinion -- look at the data," he said.

Traditional virus vaccines use actual viruses that have to be grown in chicken eggs or fetal cell lines and are weakened so they don't harm people -- a process that can take many months.&nbsp;

By contrast, the Covid-19 mRNA vaccines deliver the genetic information needed to create a protein that lies on the surface of the virus -- called the spike protein -- directly to cells in the human body, which then grow it.

This primes the immune system to make antibodies to the actual virus, and has the major advantage of shortening vaccine development time to a matter of weeks, once scientists have the genetic sequence of the protein they want to create.

Fauci was keen to highlight the critical work of NIAID, which he said was responsible for developing a precise way to orient the spike protein molecule such that it elicited the strongest immune response.

But there are still some unanswered questions, including how long the immunity lasts.&nbsp;

Fauci said he was "certain" it would endure to some extent, as immune system cells called "memory B cells" remained on standby to generate new antibodies to the virus.

But for how long was unclear. "We don't know whether it's going to be a year, two years, three years, five years, we don't know," he said.

The vaccine could receive emergency approval in the US within a matter of weeks.

Looking forward, Fauci said he was worried about anti-vaccine sentiment in the United States, the country that has been the worst-hit by the pandemic.&nbsp;

"You've got to overcome that and convince people to get vaccinated, because a vaccine with a high degree of efficacy is of no use if nobody gets vaccinated."&nbsp;

The United States' top infectious disease scientist on Monday hailed early trial results from Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine as "stunningly impressive," and said the findings were an emphatic validation of experimental mRNA technology that some had doubted.

The United States' top infectious disease scientist on Monday hailed early trial results from Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine as "stunningly impressive," and said the findings were an emphatic validation of experimental mRNA technology that some had doubted. In an interview with AFP, Anthony Fauci said he would have settled for injections that protected 70-75 percent of people from falling sick. "The idea that we have a 94.5 percent effective vaccine is stunningly impressive. It is really a spectacular result that I don't think anybody had anticipated would be this good," he said. Fauci leads the National Institutes of Allergies and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which began co-developing the vaccine with the US biotech company in January, shortly after China shared the genetic sequence of the new coronavirus. It is based on a relatively new technology that uses a synthetic version of a molecule called "messenger RNA" to hack into human cells, and effectively turn them into vaccine-making factories. No vaccine based on this platform has ever been approved. "There were many people who had reservations about using something that had not been tried and true over the years; in fact, some people even criticized us for that," said Fauci. On Monday, Moderna and NIAID announced their preliminary results based on 95 of the 30,000 volunteers they had recruited who fell ill with Covid-19. Of the 95, 90 had been in the trial's placebo group, and five in the group that received the drug, called mRNA-1273, translating to an efficacy rate of 94.5 percent. Fauci recalled that some had questioned whether the vaccine would prevent severe forms of Covid-19, not just mild or moderate cases -- and this too had been resoundingly answered. "There were 11 severe events, none in the vaccine group -- 11 in the placebo group, so that settles the question of whether it prevents severe disease, which it definitely does." - 'The data speak for themselves' - It follows a similarly impressive result from American pharmaceutical firm Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech last week, who reported an efficacy of 90 percent for their vaccine. Asked whether it was too early to say if mRNA technology had now been proven, Fauci -- who is usually known for his cautious statements -- said the jury was definitely in. "I think when you have two vaccines like this, that have proven to be greater than 90 percent effective, I think that mRNA is here, it's established itself, it doesn't need to prove anything anymore. "The data speak for themselves; it isn't me, it isn't my opinion -- look at the data," he said. Traditional virus vaccines use actual viruses that have to be grown in chicken eggs or fetal cell lines and are weakened so they don't harm people -- a process that can take many months. By contrast, the Covid-19 mRNA vaccines deliver the genetic information needed to create a protein that lies on the surface of the virus -- called the spike protein -- directly to cells in the human body, which then grow it. This primes the immune system to make antibodies to the actual virus, and has the major advantage of shortening vaccine development time to a matter of weeks, once scientists have the genetic sequence of the protein they want to create. Fauci was keen to highlight the critical work of NIAID, which he said was responsible for developing a precise way to orient the spike protein molecule such that it elicited the strongest immune response. But there are still some unanswered questions, including how long the immunity lasts. Fauci said he was "certain" it would endure to some extent, as immune system cells called "memory B cells" remained on standby to generate new antibodies to the virus. But for how long was unclear. "We don't know whether it's going to be a year, two years, three years, five years, we don't know," he said. The vaccine could receive emergency approval in the US within a matter of weeks. Looking forward, Fauci said he was worried about anti-vaccine sentiment in the United States, the country that has been the worst-hit by the pandemic. "You've got to overcome that and convince people to get vaccinated, because a vaccine with a high degree of efficacy is of no use if nobody gets vaccinated."

Moderna vaccine results 'stunningly impressive,' Fauci says

Moderna Inc said on Monday (November 16) its experimental vaccine was 94.5% effective in preventing COVID-19 based on interim data from a late-stage clinical trial, becoming the second U.S. company in a week to report results that far exceed expectations.

Moderna says coronavirus vaccine 94.5% effective

Mouthwash demonstrated virucidal properties that can kill deadly coronavirus within 30 seconds of being exposed to it, according to an experimental study.

According to the researchers, mouthwashes have the potential to reduce the oral “viral load” of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes Covid-19, among those suffering from the illness.

The preliminary result comes ahead of a clinical trial into whether using over-the-counter mouthwash has the potential to reduce the levels of Covid-19 in a patient's saliva.

The research, which was conducted at Cardiff University, found that mouthwashes containing 0.07% of the ingredient cetyl pyridinium chloride (CPC) showed "promising signs" of reducing COVID-19.

Dentyl will be the only UK mouthwash brand used in the trial, and the findings will be published in early 2021.

Meanwhile, the coronavirus death toll worldwide has reached 1.32 million, with 9,797 fatalities being recorded over the past day.

(With inputs from agencies)

Mouthwash demonstrated virucidal properties that can kill deadly coronavirus within 30 seconds of being exposed to it, according to an experimental study. According to the researchers, mouthwashes have the potential to reduce the oral “viral load” of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes Covid-19, among those suffering from the illness.

Mouthwash demonstrated virucidal properties that can kill deadly coronavirus within 30 seconds of being exposed to it, according to an experimental study. According to the researchers, mouthwashes have the potential to reduce the oral “viral load” of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes Covid-19, among those suffering from the illness. The preliminary result comes ahead of a clinical trial into whether using over-the-counter mouthwash has the potential to reduce the levels of Covid-19 in a patient's saliva. The research, which was conducted at Cardiff University, found that mouthwashes containing 0.07% of the ingredient cetyl pyridinium chloride (CPC) showed "promising signs" of reducing COVID-19. Dentyl will be the only UK mouthwash brand used in the trial, and the findings will be published in early 2021. Meanwhile, the coronavirus death toll worldwide has reached 1.32 million, with 9,797 fatalities being recorded over the past day. (With inputs from agencies)

Mouthwash can kill coronavirus within 30 seconds: Study

Moderna says its vaccine is 94.5% effective in preventing COVID-19

The firm has claimed that so far results suggest the vaccine has a 94.5% effectiveness against the disease.

UK secures 5 Million doses of potential vaccine by Moderna

As the news by top coronavirus vaccine candidate Moderna is creating a lot of buzz, the World Health Organization chief has called it "encouraging", but warned that "complacency" must be avoided.&nbsp;

"This is no time for complacency," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a virtual briefing on Monday, as quoted by news agency AFP.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-dispatch-moderna-says-its-covid-19-vaccine-is-over-94-effective-343541/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"This is a dangerous virus, which can attack every system in the body. Those countries that are letting the virus run unchecked are playing with fire."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/why-data-from-modernas-experimental-vaccine-is-truly-groundbreaking-343529">Why data from Moderna's experimental vaccine is truly groundbreaking</a>

The pharma company released early results from a clinical trial which included 30,000 participants after Americ's Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech last week said their Covid-19 vaccine was 90 per cent effective.&nbsp;

Earlier, hopes rose on Monday amid Covid-19's grim after news broke that Moderna's vaccine was found to be about 95 per cent effective in a trial.&nbsp;

The pharma company released early results from a clinical trial which included 30,000 participants after America's Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech last week said their Covid-19 vaccine was 90 per cent effective.&nbsp;

"This positive interim analysis from our Phase 3 study has given us the first clinical validation that our vaccine can prevent COVID-19 disease, including severe disease," said Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel.

However, the WHO chief has said that finding the vaccine "will not end the pandemic".

As the news by top coronavirus vaccine candidate Moderna is creating a lot of buzz, the World Health Organization chief has called it "encouraging", but warned that "complacency" must be avoided.

As the news by top coronavirus vaccine candidate Moderna is creating a lot of buzz, the World Health Organization chief has called it "encouraging", but warned that "complacency" must be avoided. "This is no time for complacency," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a virtual briefing on Monday, as quoted by news agency AFP. Watch | "This is a dangerous virus, which can attack every system in the body. Those countries that are letting the virus run unchecked are playing with fire." Also read | Why data from Moderna's experimental vaccine is truly groundbreaking The pharma company released early results from a clinical trial which included 30,000 participants after Americ's Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech last week said their Covid-19 vaccine was 90 per cent effective. Earlier, hopes rose on Monday amid Covid-19's grim after news broke that Moderna's vaccine was found to be about 95 per cent effective in a trial. The pharma company released early results from a clinical trial which included 30,000 participants after America's Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech last week said their Covid-19 vaccine was 90 per cent effective. "This positive interim analysis from our Phase 3 study has given us the first clinical validation that our vaccine can prevent COVID-19 disease, including severe disease," said Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel. However, the WHO chief has said that finding the vaccine "will not end the pandemic".

Covid-19 vaccine news 'encouraging', but no time for 'complacency': WHO chief

On Monday, American company Moderna Inc announced a milestone in the development of its experimental COVID-19 vaccine. According to the company, the vaccine is 94.5 per cent effective, the highest claim by any company so far.&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-wion-vaccine-tracker-the-vaccines-that-could-be-approved-first-343049/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Earlier, Pfizer, another American company had announced that its vaccine is over 90 per cent effective. Following this, countries like Russia and China were quick to claim the same for their national vaccine development programmes.

Moderna’s announcement is actually a very big milestone. Here’s why:

Pfizer’s vaccine requires ultra-cold storage, making its transportation expensive and sometimes logistically impossible, especially for delivery in far off countries, and places with namesake medical facilities.

But Moderna has an advantage, for its vaccine does not require ultra-cold storage, which makes its storage and distribution easier, implying it could reach more people.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/modernas-covid-19-vaccine-reaches-milestone-with-945-effectiveness-343509" hreflang="en">Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine reaches milestone with 94.5% effectiveness</a>

The company claims that the vaccine will remain stable at standard refrigerator temperature of 2-8 degree Celsius (36-48 degree F) for 30 days. Additionally, the vaccine may be stored for upto 6 months at -20 degrees Celsius.

On the other hand, Pfizer’s vaccine needs to be shipped and stored at -70 degree celsius, akin to the temperatures in Antarctica during winters. In standard refrigeration conditions, it may be stored for upto 5 days.

Very low rate of infection

Moderna’s data is based on analysis of 95 infections among participants in the trial. They received either a placebo or the vaccine.

Out of these, only five infections occurred among people who were inoculated, who were given the vaccine in two shots 28 days apart.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/a-vaccine-on-its-own-will-not-end-the-pandemic-says-who-chief-343501" hreflang="en">'A vaccine on its own will not end the pandemic', says WHO chief</a>

Additionally, Moderna’s trials witnessed the participation of 30,000 people. And it was able to prevent severe cases of COVID-19, something Pfizer is yet to ascertain with its own vaccine.

Out of the 95 cases during Moderna’s trials, only 11 were severe. All of them occurred among patients who got the placebo. Moderna is part of the US government’s Operation Warp Speed programme, which intends to fast track vaccines for COVID-19, and its earliest deployment.

Just this year, the company intends to produce 20 million doses for the US. Out of these, millions have already been produced.&nbsp;Moderna is ready to ship these vaccines as soon as it received FDA authorisation.

On Monday, American company Moderna Inc announced a milestone in the development of its experimental COVID-19 vaccine. According to the company, the vaccine is 94.5 per cent effective, the highest claim by any company so far. Earlier, Pfizer, another American company had announced that its vaccine is over 90 per cent effective. Following this, countries like Russia and China were quick to claim the same for their national vaccine development programmes. Moderna’s announcement is actually a very big milestone. Here’s why: Pfizer’s vaccine requires ultra-cold storage, making its transportation expensive and sometimes logistically impossible, especially for delivery in far off countries, and places with namesake medical facilities. But Moderna has an advantage, for its vaccine does not require ultra-cold storage, which makes its storage and distribution easier, implying it could reach more people. Also read: Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine reaches milestone with 94.5% effectiveness The company claims that the vaccine will remain stable at standard refrigerator temperature of 2-8 degree Celsius (36-48 degree F) for 30 days. Additionally, the vaccine may be stored for upto 6 months at -20 degrees Celsius. On the other hand, Pfizer’s vaccine needs to be shipped and stored at -70 degree celsius, akin to the temperatures in Antarctica during winters. In standard refrigeration conditions, it may be stored for upto 5 days. Very low rate of infection Moderna’s data is based on analysis of 95 infections among participants in the trial. They received either a placebo or the vaccine. Out of these, only five infections occurred among people who were inoculated, who were given the vaccine in two shots 28 days apart. Also read: 'A vaccine on its own will not end the pandemic', says WHO chief Additionally, Moderna’s trials witnessed the participation of 30,000 people. And it was able to prevent severe cases of COVID-19, something Pfizer is yet to ascertain with its own vaccine. Out of the 95 cases during Moderna’s trials, only 11 were severe. All of them occurred among patients who got the placebo. Moderna is part of the US government’s Operation Warp Speed programme, which intends to fast track vaccines for COVID-19, and its earliest deployment. Just this year, the company intends to produce 20 million doses for the US. Out of these, millions have already been produced. Moderna is ready to ship these vaccines as soon as it received FDA authorisation.

Why data from Moderna's experimental vaccine is truly groundbreaking

Moderna Inc on Monday claimed that its experimental vaccine for COVID-19 was 94.5 per cent effective in the prevention of coronavirus.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/covid-19-pandemic-modernas-covid-19-vaccine-appears-safe-331616/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The company cited interim data from a late-stage clinical trial. This marks the second US company to reveal results of their coronavirus vaccine. When Pfizer announced its vaccines are more than 90 per cent effective, optimism surrounding the vaccine increased.&nbsp;

Both Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccine have to undergo safety and regulatory review. But if this works out, the US could have two potential vaccines ready for deployment by December. This would imply that as many as 60 million doses of the vaccine could be put to work by the end of year.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/a-vaccine-on-its-own-will-not-end-the-pandemic-says-who-chief-343501" hreflang="en">'A vaccine on its own will not end the pandemic', says WHO chief</a>

According to Reuters figures, the US could have access to over 1 billion doses of a COVID-19 vaccine from two makers by next year.

The country hosts 330 million people, meaning it would have a surplus of vaccines available. Both the vaccines were constructed using a technology called messenger RNA or mRNA.

The pandemic has infected 54 million people worldwide, and has killed 1.3 million people. Coronavirus cases continue to jump across the world. In the United States, record number of cases were inducted. Many European countries too, have reimposed lockdown restrictions.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/lead-scientist-behind-pfizers-covid-19-vaccine-ugur-sahin-says-life-will-not-return-to-normal-till-next-winter-343465" hreflang="en">Lead scientist behind Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, Ugur Sahin, says life will not return to normal till next winter</a>

"We are going to have a vaccine that can stop COVID-19," Moderna President Stephen Hoge told Reuters in a telephone interview.

Moderna's interim analysis was based on 95 infections among trial participants who received either a placebo or the vaccine. Of those, only five infections occurred in those who received the vaccine, which is administered in two shots 28 days apart.

Moderna Inc on Monday claimed that its experimental vaccine for COVID-19 was 94.5 per cent effective in the prevention of coronavirus. The company cited interim data from a late-stage clinical trial.

Moderna Inc on Monday claimed that its experimental vaccine for COVID-19 was 94.5 per cent effective in the prevention of coronavirus. The company cited interim data from a late-stage clinical trial. This marks the second US company to reveal results of their coronavirus vaccine. When Pfizer announced its vaccines are more than 90 per cent effective, optimism surrounding the vaccine increased. Both Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccine have to undergo safety and regulatory review. But if this works out, the US could have two potential vaccines ready for deployment by December. This would imply that as many as 60 million doses of the vaccine could be put to work by the end of year. Also read: 'A vaccine on its own will not end the pandemic', says WHO chief According to Reuters figures, the US could have access to over 1 billion doses of a COVID-19 vaccine from two makers by next year. The country hosts 330 million people, meaning it would have a surplus of vaccines available. Both the vaccines were constructed using a technology called messenger RNA or mRNA. The pandemic has infected 54 million people worldwide, and has killed 1.3 million people. Coronavirus cases continue to jump across the world. In the United States, record number of cases were inducted. Many European countries too, have reimposed lockdown restrictions. Also read: Lead scientist behind Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, Ugur Sahin, says life will not return to normal till next winter "We are going to have a vaccine that can stop COVID-19," Moderna President Stephen Hoge told Reuters in a telephone interview. Moderna's interim analysis was based on 95 infections among trial participants who received either a placebo or the vaccine. Of those, only five infections occurred in those who received the vaccine, which is administered in two shots 28 days apart.

Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine reaches milestone with 94.5% effectiveness

Moderna Inc said on Wednesday it was on track to report early data from a late-stage trial of its experimental coronavirus vaccine later this month, and could file for U.S. emergency use authorization in early December.

The company may have to wait for a two-month follow up safety data to apply for U.S. emergency use authorization, even after reporting positive interim data on the vaccine's effectiveness.

Moderna said it expects the safety data in the second half of this month.

Hopes of the world soon getting an effective vaccine against the virus that has killed over a million people were raised on Monday after Pfizer Inc said its COVID-19 vaccine was more than 90% effective based on interim trial results.

There are no vaccines that have gained global approval yet, although a handful, including Moderna's, are in late-stage studies.

It was too early to guess how effective Moderna's vaccine could be, Chief Executive Officer Stephane Bancel said at a Credit Suisse conference.

The world would have to wait for more data to understand whether use of a particular vaccine would be more widespread, Bancel said.

Moderna, which uses a technology similar to Pfizer's, finished enrolling 30,000 volunteers in its late-stage study last month.

Public health experts have said it is likely that more than one vaccine would be needed to control the pandemic.

Moderna Inc said on Wednesday it was on track to report early data from a late-stage trial of its experimental coronavirus vaccine later this month, and could file for U.

Moderna Inc said on Wednesday it was on track to report early data from a late-stage trial of its experimental coronavirus vaccine later this month, and could file for U.S. emergency use authorization in early December. The company may have to wait for a two-month follow up safety data to apply for U.S. emergency use authorization, even after reporting positive interim data on the vaccine's effectiveness. Moderna said it expects the safety data in the second half of this month. Hopes of the world soon getting an effective vaccine against the virus that has killed over a million people were raised on Monday after Pfizer Inc said its COVID-19 vaccine was more than 90% effective based on interim trial results. There are no vaccines that have gained global approval yet, although a handful, including Moderna's, are in late-stage studies. It was too early to guess how effective Moderna's vaccine could be, Chief Executive Officer Stephane Bancel said at a Credit Suisse conference. The world would have to wait for more data to understand whether use of a particular vaccine would be more widespread, Bancel said. Moderna, which uses a technology similar to Pfizer's, finished enrolling 30,000 volunteers in its late-stage study last month. Public health experts have said it is likely that more than one vaccine would be needed to control the pandemic.

Moderna on track to report COVID-19 vaccine data later this month

Moderna Inc has said it is preparing to launch its experimental coronavirus vaccine. It on Thursday said it is on track to report early data from a late-stage trial of its experimental COVID-19 vaccine next month, offering the clearest timeline yet for when the world will know whether it is effective.

The company has received $1.1 billion in customer deposits for the shots during the third quarter.

“We are actively preparing for the launch of mRNA-1273 and we have signed a number of supply agreements with governments around the world," Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said in a press release.&nbsp;

The company, one of the front-runners in the global race to produce vaccines to protect against COVID-19, said an independent data monitoring committee is expected to conduct an interim review of its ongoing 30,000-person trial in November. Its shares rose 3%.

The company said it is preparing to distribute the vaccine, known as mRNA-1273, and expects to be able to produce 20 million doses by the end of the year, and between 500 million and 1 billion in 2021.

Moderna Inc earlier told Reuters it would seek emergency FDA authorisation to use its vaccine in high-risk groups if an interim assessment of its trial showed its vaccine was at least 70% effective.

The Moderna vaccine uses synthetic messenger RNA (mRNA) to mimic the surface of the coronavirus and teach the immune system to recognize and neutralize it. The technology, which has yet to produce an approved vaccine, is also used in the COVID-19 vaccine being developed by Pfizer Inc PFE.N and German partner BioNTech SE 22AUy.F.

Moderna said it expects two-month follow-up safety data, as required by the US Food and Drug Administration, in the second half of November, after which it will file for an emergency use authorization. Recent FDA guidelines called on COVID-19 vaccine developers to watch trial subjects for two months after they receive a final dose for any side effects that may crop up.

The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company has signed supply deals with the U.S. government and several other countries, and is also in talks with the World Health Organisation-led group, COVAX, about vaccine distribution and a tiered pricing proposal.

Moderna said its deal with the US government for 100 million doses values the vaccine at $25 per dose, based on the grants it received and performance payments. The U.S. government has an option to buy an additional 400 million doses.

The company, whose supply agreements include deals with Japan, Canada and Israel, said it is in talks with the European Union and others.

Other vaccine in final stages of human testing include those from Pfizer, AstraZeneca Plc AZN.L and Johnson &amp; Johnson JNJ.N.

Pfizer said this week that there had not yet been enough infections in its 44,000-volunteer trial to trigger the first analysis of whether its vaccine works.

(with inputs)

Moderna Inc has said it is preparing to launch its experimental coronavirus vaccine. It on Thursday said it is on track to report early data from a late-stage trial of its experimental COVID-19 vaccine next month, offering the clearest timeline yet for when the world will know whether it is effective.

Moderna Inc has said it is preparing to launch its experimental coronavirus vaccine. It on Thursday said it is on track to report early data from a late-stage trial of its experimental COVID-19 vaccine next month, offering the clearest timeline yet for when the world will know whether it is effective. The company has received $1.1 billion in customer deposits for the shots during the third quarter. “We are actively preparing for the launch of mRNA-1273 and we have signed a number of supply agreements with governments around the world," Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said in a press release. The company, one of the front-runners in the global race to produce vaccines to protect against COVID-19, said an independent data monitoring committee is expected to conduct an interim review of its ongoing 30,000-person trial in November. Its shares rose 3%. The company said it is preparing to distribute the vaccine, known as mRNA-1273, and expects to be able to produce 20 million doses by the end of the year, and between 500 million and 1 billion in 2021. Moderna Inc earlier told Reuters it would seek emergency FDA authorisation to use its vaccine in high-risk groups if an interim assessment of its trial showed its vaccine was at least 70% effective. The Moderna vaccine uses synthetic messenger RNA (mRNA) to mimic the surface of the coronavirus and teach the immune system to recognize and neutralize it. The technology, which has yet to produce an approved vaccine, is also used in the COVID-19 vaccine being developed by Pfizer Inc PFE.N and German partner BioNTech SE 22AUy.F. Moderna said it expects two-month follow-up safety data, as required by the US Food and Drug Administration, in the second half of November, after which it will file for an emergency use authorization. Recent FDA guidelines called on COVID-19 vaccine developers to watch trial subjects for two months after they receive a final dose for any side effects that may crop up. The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company has signed supply deals with the U.S. government and several other countries, and is also in talks with the World Health Organisation-led group, COVAX, about vaccine distribution and a tiered pricing proposal. Moderna said its deal with the US government for 100 million doses values the vaccine at $25 per dose, based on the grants it received and performance payments. The U.S. government has an option to buy an additional 400 million doses. The company, whose supply agreements include deals with Japan, Canada and Israel, said it is in talks with the European Union and others. Other vaccine in final stages of human testing include those from Pfizer, AstraZeneca Plc AZN.L and Johnson & Johnson JNJ.N. Pfizer said this week that there had not yet been enough infections in its 44,000-volunteer trial to trigger the first analysis of whether its vaccine works. (with inputs)

Moderna says preparing for Covid-19 vaccine launch

Moderna has said that it is on track to report early data from a late stage trial of it's experimental COVID-19 vaccine as early as next month. Watch the report to know more.

Moderna preparing to launch covid-19 vaccine

Vaccine-maker Moderna Inc will soon apply for real-time reviews of its experimental COVID-19 vaccine in Europe, days after the EU health regulator launched rolling reviews of shots from its rivals.

WION Special Story: 10 months of COVID-19, still no vaccine | World News

Amid growing concern over access to Covid-19 medical products, Moderna has decided not to enforce its patent rights related to its experimental vaccine. Watch report.

Moderna vows not to enforce Covid-19 patents: WHO welcomes move

If Moderna Inc's COVID-19 vaccine proves to be at least 70 per cent effective, the company plans to seek emergency authorization for its use in high-risk groups, the company's chief executive told Reuters.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/rich-nations-with-13-population-signed-deals-for-getting-over-half-of-covid-19-vaccines-study-328070">Also Read:&nbsp;Rich nations with 13% population signed deals for getting over half of COVID-19 vaccines: Study</a>

Moderna's vaccine candidate - mRNA-1273 - is nearing the finish line in its push to enroll 30,000 individuals in a late-stage trial of a novel coronavirus vaccine. But the company may be able to declare victory early if it is able to show that people who got the vaccine fared much better in its trial that people who didn't.

Vaccines must demonstrate they are at least 50% moreeffective than a placebo to be considered for approval. To provethat, government officials have said, at least 150 COVID-19infections must be recorded among trial participants with atleast twice as many occurring among the placebo group. If a vaccine is especially effective, companies could havetheir answer sooner.

An independent safety board will take a first look at Moderna's data as soon as a total of 53 people in the trial become infected with COVID-19. Moderna is projecting the interim analysis will occur in November, but it could come as early as October.

If most of the people who got sick got the placebo shot, that would indicate the vaccine was protecting those inoculated and could be enough evidence to seek U.S. regulatory approval for Emergency Use Authorization(EUA).

"If the interim readout is deemed by the independent safety committee as positive with 70 or 80 or 90% efficacy, we will indeed consider approval," Stephane Bancel, Moderna's chief executive officer, said in a telephone interview.

"At such a level of efficacy, if we get there, we can protect a lot of lives in the people at the highest risk, and so, we will consider filing for an EUA for a very limited population," Bancel said.

He said the FDA will determine whether the benefit of the vaccine to a small group of high-risk individuals outweighs the risk of not having a full readout of safety data from all 30,000 study participants.

The two groups of high-risk individuals who might be covered in such an EUA would be healthcare workers and the elderly, Bancel said.

Bancel said the company wants to gather more data on the safety of the vaccine in the study population over a period of several months before seeking full FDA approval.

Moderna released its study protocol on Thursday, making public details on how its vaccine will be evaluated. If the vaccine does not reach the efficacy mark after 53 cases, the data safety and monitoring board will take another interim look at the data after 106 cases, and a final look after 151 people in the trial become infected with the virus.

Public health officials have said that approving a vaccine for widespread use based on a small number of cases would not offer enough safety information to show how the vaccine would perform.

Moderna, which has never brought a vaccine to market, hasreceived nearly $1 billion from the U.S. government under itsOperation Warp Speed program. It has also struck a $1.5 billionsupply agreement with the United States.

In a presentation to investors on Tuesday, Pfizer Inc said the company has enrolled more than 29,000 people in its 44,000-volunteer trial to test an experimental COVID-19 vaccine the company is developing with German partner BioNTech.

Pfizer expects to have enough data to show whether the vaccine works by the end of October.

If Moderna Inc's COVID-19 vaccine proves to be at least 70 per cent effective, the company plans to seek emergency authorization for its use in high-risk groups, the company's chief executive told Reuters.

If Moderna Inc's COVID-19 vaccine proves to be at least 70 per cent effective, the company plans to seek emergency authorization for its use in high-risk groups, the company's chief executive told Reuters. Also Read: Rich nations with 13% population signed deals for getting over half of COVID-19 vaccines: Study Moderna's vaccine candidate - mRNA-1273 - is nearing the finish line in its push to enroll 30,000 individuals in a late-stage trial of a novel coronavirus vaccine. But the company may be able to declare victory early if it is able to show that people who got the vaccine fared much better in its trial that people who didn't. Vaccines must demonstrate they are at least 50% moreeffective than a placebo to be considered for approval. To provethat, government officials have said, at least 150 COVID-19infections must be recorded among trial participants with atleast twice as many occurring among the placebo group. If a vaccine is especially effective, companies could havetheir answer sooner. An independent safety board will take a first look at Moderna's data as soon as a total of 53 people in the trial become infected with COVID-19. Moderna is projecting the interim analysis will occur in November, but it could come as early as October. If most of the people who got sick got the placebo shot, that would indicate the vaccine was protecting those inoculated and could be enough evidence to seek U.S. regulatory approval for Emergency Use Authorization(EUA). "If the interim readout is deemed by the independent safety committee as positive with 70 or 80 or 90% efficacy, we will indeed consider approval," Stephane Bancel, Moderna's chief executive officer, said in a telephone interview. "At such a level of efficacy, if we get there, we can protect a lot of lives in the people at the highest risk, and so, we will consider filing for an EUA for a very limited population," Bancel said. He said the FDA will determine whether the benefit of the vaccine to a small group of high-risk individuals outweighs the risk of not having a full readout of safety data from all 30,000 study participants. The two groups of high-risk individuals who might be covered in such an EUA would be healthcare workers and the elderly, Bancel said. Bancel said the company wants to gather more data on the safety of the vaccine in the study population over a period of several months before seeking full FDA approval. Moderna released its study protocol on Thursday, making public details on how its vaccine will be evaluated. If the vaccine does not reach the efficacy mark after 53 cases, the data safety and monitoring board will take another interim look at the data after 106 cases, and a final look after 151 people in the trial become infected with the virus. Public health officials have said that approving a vaccine for widespread use based on a small number of cases would not offer enough safety information to show how the vaccine would perform. Moderna, which has never brought a vaccine to market, hasreceived nearly $1 billion from the U.S. government under itsOperation Warp Speed program. It has also struck a $1.5 billionsupply agreement with the United States. In a presentation to investors on Tuesday, Pfizer Inc said the company has enrolled more than 29,000 people in its 44,000-volunteer trial to test an experimental COVID-19 vaccine the company is developing with German partner BioNTech. Pfizer expects to have enough data to show whether the vaccine works by the end of October.

Will seek emergency authorization if vaccine 70% effective: Moderna

There are more than 150 vaccine candidates around the world right now and many of them will never make it out of the laboratory but the leading candidates are defying medical norms and&nbsp;promising a safe and efficient vaccine by the end of this year.

Here's a round-up of the leading vaccine candidates and how they are faring in clinical trials.

The leading the COVID-19 vaccine race is AstraZeneca - a British-Swedish multinational but last week&nbsp;the company hit a major roablock. Its trials were halted after a British trial volunteer developed serious side-effects. The company called it a "routine" pause after a sweeping review, the UK trials have resumed but authorities in the US and India are yet to give the go-ahead.

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Pfizer and Biontech are expanding their stage 3 clinical trials that is if the US food and drug administration(FDA) approves. The companies are on track to meet their initial target of 30,000 volunteers by next week.&nbsp;Late-stage trial results are expected by October but it could take months before the vaccine is declared safe.

US-based Moderna therapeutics is all set to begin it's phase 3 trials. The company is in talks with multiple countries to meet its target of 30,000 volunteers,&nbsp;expect a full scale roll-out by the end of 2020.&nbsp;The target is to produce 1 billion doses per year from 2021.

Russia's Sputnik V is the only vaccine in civil circulation. Two hundred and fifty&nbsp;Moscow residents got it last week and 75 per cent of them are yet to display symptoms with small consignments of Sputnik V being shipped across the country but safety concerns remain as a group of eminent scientists recently raised doubts about the accuracy of Russia's clinical trials.

There are more than 150 vaccine candidates around the world right now and many of them will never make it out of the laboratory but the leading candidates are defying medical norms and promising a safe and efficient vaccine by the end of this year.

There are more than 150 vaccine candidates around the world right now and many of them will never make it out of the laboratory but the leading candidates are defying medical norms and promising a safe and efficient vaccine by the end of this year. Here's a round-up of the leading vaccine candidates and how they are faring in clinical trials. The leading the COVID-19 vaccine race is AstraZeneca - a British-Swedish multinational but last week the company hit a major roablock. Its trials were halted after a British trial volunteer developed serious side-effects. The company called it a "routine" pause after a sweeping review, the UK trials have resumed but authorities in the US and India are yet to give the go-ahead. × Pfizer and Biontech are expanding their stage 3 clinical trials that is if the US food and drug administration(FDA) approves. The companies are on track to meet their initial target of 30,000 volunteers by next week. Late-stage trial results are expected by October but it could take months before the vaccine is declared safe. US-based Moderna therapeutics is all set to begin it's phase 3 trials. The company is in talks with multiple countries to meet its target of 30,000 volunteers, expect a full scale roll-out by the end of 2020. The target is to produce 1 billion doses per year from 2021. Russia's Sputnik V is the only vaccine in civil circulation. Two hundred and fifty Moscow residents got it last week and 75 per cent of them are yet to display symptoms with small consignments of Sputnik V being shipped across the country but safety concerns remain as a group of eminent scientists recently raised doubts about the accuracy of Russia's clinical trials.

Amid race for coronavirus cure, companies promise safe and efficient vaccines

After Russia, these COVID-19 vaccines set to unveil soon!

Chinese government-linked hackers targeted biotech company Moderna Inc, a leading U.S.-based coronavirus vaccine research developer, earlier this year in a bid to steal valuable data, according to a U.S. security official tracking Chinese hacking activity.

Last week, the U.S. Justice Department made public an indictment of two Chinese nationals accused of spying on the United States, including three unnamed U.S.-based targets involved in medical research to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The indictment states the Chinese hackers "conducted reconnaissance" against the computer network of a Massachusetts biotech firm known to be working on a coronavirus vaccine in January.

Moderna, which is based in Massachusetts and announced its COVID-19 vaccine candidate in January, confirmed to Reuters that the company had been in contact with the FBI and was made aware of the suspected "information reconnaissance activities" by the hacking group mentioned in last week's indictment.

Reconnaissance activities can include a wide range of actions, including probing public websites for vulnerabilities to scouting out important accounts after entering a network, cybersecurity experts say.

“Moderna remains highly vigilant to potential cybersecurity threats, maintaining an internal team, external support services and good working relationships with outside authorities to continuously assess threats and protect our valuable information," spokesman Ray Jordan said, declining to provide further detail.

The U.S. security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not provide further details. The FBI and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declined to disclose the identities of companies targeted by Chinese hackers.

Moderna's vaccine candidate is one of the earliest and biggest bets by the Trump administration to fight the pandemic. The federal government is supporting development of the company's vaccine with nearly half a billion dollars and helping Moderna launch a clinical trial of up to 30,000 people beginning this month.

China is also racing to develop a vaccine, bringing together its state, military and private sectors to combat a disease that has killed over 660,000 people worldwide.

A July 7 indictment released last week alleges that the two Chinese hackers, Li Xiaoyu and Dong Jiazhi, conducted a decade-long hacking spree that most recently included the targeting of COVID-19 medical research groups.

Prosecutors said Li and Dong acted as contractors for China’s Ministry of State Security, a state intelligence agency. Messages left with several accounts registered under Li’s digital alias, oro0lxy, were not returned. Contact details for Dong were not available.

The Chinese Embassy in Washington referred Reuters to recent Chinese Foreign Ministry comments that said: “China has long been a major victim of cyber thefts and attacks" and its officials “firmly oppose and fight" such activities. The Chinese government has consistently denied any role in hacking incidents across the globe. The embassy spokesperson did not address specific questions sent via email.

The two other unnamed medical research companies mentioned in the Justice Department indictment are described as biotech companies based in California and Maryland. Prosecutors said the hackers “searched for vulnerabilities" and “conducted reconnaissance" against them.

The court filing describes the California firm as working on antiviral drug research and suggested the Maryland Company had publicly announced efforts to develop a vaccine in January. Two companies that could match those descriptions: Gilead Sciences Inc and Novavax Inc.

Gilead spokesperson Chris Ridley said the firm does not comment on cybersecurity matters. Novavax would not comment on specific cyber security activities but said: “Our cyber security team has been alerted to the alleged foreign threats identified in the news."

A security consultant familiar with multiple hacking investigations involving premier biotech firms over the last year said Chinese hacking groups believed to be broadly associated with China’s Ministry of State security are one of the primary forces targeting COVID-19 research, globally. This matches the description of the indicted hackers, as MSS contractors.

Chinese government-linked hackers targeted biotech company Moderna Inc, a leading U.S.-based coronavirus vaccine research developer, earlier this year in a bid to steal valuable data, according to a U.

Chinese government-linked hackers targeted biotech company Moderna Inc, a leading U.S.-based coronavirus vaccine research developer, earlier this year in a bid to steal valuable data, according to a U.S. security official tracking Chinese hacking activity. Last week, the U.S. Justice Department made public an indictment of two Chinese nationals accused of spying on the United States, including three unnamed U.S.-based targets involved in medical research to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The indictment states the Chinese hackers "conducted reconnaissance" against the computer network of a Massachusetts biotech firm known to be working on a coronavirus vaccine in January. Moderna, which is based in Massachusetts and announced its COVID-19 vaccine candidate in January, confirmed to Reuters that the company had been in contact with the FBI and was made aware of the suspected "information reconnaissance activities" by the hacking group mentioned in last week's indictment. Reconnaissance activities can include a wide range of actions, including probing public websites for vulnerabilities to scouting out important accounts after entering a network, cybersecurity experts say. “Moderna remains highly vigilant to potential cybersecurity threats, maintaining an internal team, external support services and good working relationships with outside authorities to continuously assess threats and protect our valuable information," spokesman Ray Jordan said, declining to provide further detail. The U.S. security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not provide further details. The FBI and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declined to disclose the identities of companies targeted by Chinese hackers. Moderna's vaccine candidate is one of the earliest and biggest bets by the Trump administration to fight the pandemic. The federal government is supporting development of the company's vaccine with nearly half a billion dollars and helping Moderna launch a clinical trial of up to 30,000 people beginning this month. China is also racing to develop a vaccine, bringing together its state, military and private sectors to combat a disease that has killed over 660,000 people worldwide. A July 7 indictment released last week alleges that the two Chinese hackers, Li Xiaoyu and Dong Jiazhi, conducted a decade-long hacking spree that most recently included the targeting of COVID-19 medical research groups. Prosecutors said Li and Dong acted as contractors for China’s Ministry of State Security, a state intelligence agency. Messages left with several accounts registered under Li’s digital alias, oro0lxy, were not returned. Contact details for Dong were not available. The Chinese Embassy in Washington referred Reuters to recent Chinese Foreign Ministry comments that said: “China has long been a major victim of cyber thefts and attacks" and its officials “firmly oppose and fight" such activities. The Chinese government has consistently denied any role in hacking incidents across the globe. The embassy spokesperson did not address specific questions sent via email. The two other unnamed medical research companies mentioned in the Justice Department indictment are described as biotech companies based in California and Maryland. Prosecutors said the hackers “searched for vulnerabilities" and “conducted reconnaissance" against them. The court filing describes the California firm as working on antiviral drug research and suggested the Maryland Company had publicly announced efforts to develop a vaccine in January. Two companies that could match those descriptions: Gilead Sciences Inc and Novavax Inc. Gilead spokesperson Chris Ridley said the firm does not comment on cybersecurity matters. Novavax would not comment on specific cyber security activities but said: “Our cyber security team has been alerted to the alleged foreign threats identified in the news." A security consultant familiar with multiple hacking investigations involving premier biotech firms over the last year said Chinese hacking groups believed to be broadly associated with China’s Ministry of State security are one of the primary forces targeting COVID-19 research, globally. This matches the description of the indicted hackers, as MSS contractors.

Chinese-backed hackers targeted covid-19 vaccine firm Moderna

China has rejected charges that hackers linked to its government targetted biotech firm Moderna Inc, a leading US-based coronavirus vaccine research developer, to steal data.

"The accusations are baseless and without evidence, and China does not need to and does not engage in technology theft," foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a news briefing.

A US security official tracking Chinese hacking activity had earlier accused of China of theft.

Last week, the US Justice Department made public an indictment of two Chinese nationals accused of spying on the United States, including three unnamed US-based targets involved in medical research to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The indictment stated that the Chinese hackers "conducted reconnaissance" against the computer network of a Massachusetts biotech firm known to be working on a coronavirus vaccine in January.

Moderna, which is based in Massachusetts and announced its COVID-19 vaccine candidate in January, confirmed to Reuters that the company had been in contact with the FBI.

Moderna's vaccine candidate is one of the earliest and biggest bets by the Trump administration to fight the pandemic. The federal government is supporting development of the company's vaccine with nearly half a billion dollars and helping Moderna launch a clinical trial of up to 30,000 people beginning this month.

China is also racing to develop a vaccine, bringing together its state, military and private sectors to combat a disease that has killed over 660,000 people worldwide.

(with inputs from agencies)

China has rejected charges that hackers linked to its government targetted biotech firm Moderna Inc, a leading US-based coronavirus vaccine research developer, to steal data.

China has rejected charges that hackers linked to its government targetted biotech firm Moderna Inc, a leading US-based coronavirus vaccine research developer, to steal data. "The accusations are baseless and without evidence, and China does not need to and does not engage in technology theft," foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a news briefing. A US security official tracking Chinese hacking activity had earlier accused of China of theft. Last week, the US Justice Department made public an indictment of two Chinese nationals accused of spying on the United States, including three unnamed US-based targets involved in medical research to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The indictment stated that the Chinese hackers "conducted reconnaissance" against the computer network of a Massachusetts biotech firm known to be working on a coronavirus vaccine in January. Moderna, which is based in Massachusetts and announced its COVID-19 vaccine candidate in January, confirmed to Reuters that the company had been in contact with the FBI. Moderna's vaccine candidate is one of the earliest and biggest bets by the Trump administration to fight the pandemic. The federal government is supporting development of the company's vaccine with nearly half a billion dollars and helping Moderna launch a clinical trial of up to 30,000 people beginning this month. China is also racing to develop a vaccine, bringing together its state, military and private sectors to combat a disease that has killed over 660,000 people worldwide. (with inputs from agencies)

China dismisses accusations of hacking attempt on US vaccine developer Moderna

Keeping borders closed to halt the spread of COVID-19 is unsustainable, the World Health Organization said Monday, urging countries to adopt comprehensive strategies based on local knowledge of where the virus is spreading. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/europe-tightens-coronavirus-restrictions-amid-fresh-outbreaks-316363">ALSO READ | Europe tightens coronavirus restrictions amid fresh outbreaks</a> 
 
Border closures and travel restrictions remain an important part of many countries' strategy to combat the novel coronavirus.

At the same time, rising cases in a range of countries in Europe and elsewhere that had loosened measures after appearing to get their outbreaks under control have spurred discussions of possible fresh border closures.

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But the UN health body warned that such measures can not be kept up indefinitely, and are also only useful when combined with a wide range of other measures to detect and break chains of transmission.

"Continuing to keep international borders sealed is not necessarily a sustainable strategy for the world's economy, for the world's poor, or for anybody else," Michael Ryan, WHO emergencies director, told journalists in a virtual briefing.

"It is going to be almost impossible for individual countries to keep their borders shut for the foreseeable future," he said, pointing out that "economies have to open up, people have to work, trade has to resume."

He acknowledged that when it comes to COVID-19, it is impossible to have a "global one size fits all policy" because outbreaks are developing differently in different countries.

While countries with rampant community transmission may need to use the blunt instrument of lockdowns to gain control of the situation, others should be burrowing down to get a clear overview of where and how the virus is spreading at a local level.

Don't 'release pressure'

They should be prepared to tighten or loosen measures accordingly, he said, warning against "releasing pressure" on the virus, which has killed some 650,000 people and infected 16.3 million worldwide.

"Release pressure on the virus and the numbers can creep back up."

Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO's technical lead on COVID-19, said that instead of expecting drastic measures to keep the virus in check, people need to adapt their behaviours for the long haul.

"What we're going to have to figure out... is what our new normal looks like?" she told reporters.

"Our new normal includes physical distancing from others, (and) wearing masks where appropriate," she said.

"Our new normal includes us knowing where this virus is every day, where we live, where we work, where we want to travel."

Keeping borders closed to halt the spread of COVID-19 is unsustainable, the World Health Organization said Monday, urging countries to adopt comprehensive strategies based on local knowledge of where the virus is spreading.

Keeping borders closed to halt the spread of COVID-19 is unsustainable, the World Health Organization said Monday, urging countries to adopt comprehensive strategies based on local knowledge of where the virus is spreading. ALSO READ | Europe tightens coronavirus restrictions amid fresh outbreaks Border closures and travel restrictions remain an important part of many countries' strategy to combat the novel coronavirus. At the same time, rising cases in a range of countries in Europe and elsewhere that had loosened measures after appearing to get their outbreaks under control have spurred discussions of possible fresh border closures. But the UN health body warned that such measures can not be kept up indefinitely, and are also only useful when combined with a wide range of other measures to detect and break chains of transmission. "Continuing to keep international borders sealed is not necessarily a sustainable strategy for the world's economy, for the world's poor, or for anybody else," Michael Ryan, WHO emergencies director, told journalists in a virtual briefing. "It is going to be almost impossible for individual countries to keep their borders shut for the foreseeable future," he said, pointing out that "economies have to open up, people have to work, trade has to resume." He acknowledged that when it comes to COVID-19, it is impossible to have a "global one size fits all policy" because outbreaks are developing differently in different countries. While countries with rampant community transmission may need to use the blunt instrument of lockdowns to gain control of the situation, others should be burrowing down to get a clear overview of where and how the virus is spreading at a local level. Don't 'release pressure' They should be prepared to tighten or loosen measures accordingly, he said, warning against "releasing pressure" on the virus, which has killed some 650,000 people and infected 16.3 million worldwide. "Release pressure on the virus and the numbers can creep back up." Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO's technical lead on COVID-19, said that instead of expecting drastic measures to keep the virus in check, people need to adapt their behaviours for the long haul. "What we're going to have to figure out... is what our new normal looks like?" she told reporters. "Our new normal includes physical distancing from others, (and) wearing masks where appropriate," she said. "Our new normal includes us knowing where this virus is every day, where we live, where we work, where we want to travel."

Keeping international borders sealed unsustainable Covid-19 strategy: WHO

Moderna's vaccine against COVID-19 could be rolled out by the end of this year, US&nbsp;officials said on Monday, after the drugmaker announced the start of a 30,000-subject trial to demonstrate it is safe and effective, the final hurdle prior to approval by global regulators. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/moderna-inc-to-begin-final-testing-stage-of-coronavirus-vaccine-on-30000-volunteers-in-july-305148">ALSO READ | Moderna Inc to begin final testing stage of coronavirus vaccine on 30,000 volunteers in July</a> 
 
The trial is the first such late-stage study under the Trump administration's program to speed development of measures against the novel coronavirus, adding to hope that an effective vaccine will help end the pandemic. Shares of Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Moderna rose 9%. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-signs-agreement-with-moderna-for-potential-covid-19-vaccine-306725">ALSO READ | Israel signs agreement with Moderna for potential COVID-19 vaccine</a>

Moderna has received nearly $1 billion from the U.S. government, which is helping to bankroll several vaccine candidates under its Operation Warp Speed program.

More than 150 coronavirus vaccine candidates are in various stages of development, with some two dozen prospects having advanced to human testing.

"Having a safe and effective vaccine distributed by the end of 2020 is a stretch goal, but it's the right goal for the American people," National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Francis Collins said in a release announcing the start of the large Phase III trial.

Manufacturers are ramping up production while testing is underway in order to respond as soon as possible to virus, which is still spreading rapidly around the world. COVID-19 has killed more about 650,000 people worldwide and battered economies.

Moderna could have tens of millions of doses ready when and if the vaccine is deemed safe and effective, Collins told reporters on a call.

The large late-stage trial is designed to evaluate the safety of Moderna's mRNA-1273 vaccine and determine if it can prevent symptomatic COVID-19 after two doses.

Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease official, said a readout from the trial could come by November, December, or even earlier. Fauci said he was "not particularly concerned" about the vaccine's safety after seeing data from earlier, smaller trials.

The study also seeks to determine whether the vaccine can prevent coronavirus-related deaths.

Trial volunteers will receive two injections about 28 days apart of either 100 micrograms of mRNA-1273 or a placebo.

Results of a small early-stage study published earlier this month showed volunteers who got two doses of Moderna's vaccine had levels of virus-killing antibodies that exceeded the average seen in people who had recovered from COVID-19.

Moderna said it remains on track to deliver about 500 million doses a year, and possibly up to 1 billion doses a year, beginning 2021.

Moderna's vaccine against COVID-19 could be rolled out by the end of this year, US officials said on Monday, after the drugmaker announced the start of a 30,000-subject trial to demonstrate it is safe and effective, the final hurdle prior to approval by global regulators.

Moderna's vaccine against COVID-19 could be rolled out by the end of this year, US officials said on Monday, after the drugmaker announced the start of a 30,000-subject trial to demonstrate it is safe and effective, the final hurdle prior to approval by global regulators. ALSO READ | Moderna Inc to begin final testing stage of coronavirus vaccine on 30,000 volunteers in July The trial is the first such late-stage study under the Trump administration's program to speed development of measures against the novel coronavirus, adding to hope that an effective vaccine will help end the pandemic. Shares of Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Moderna rose 9%. ALSO READ | Israel signs agreement with Moderna for potential COVID-19 vaccine Moderna has received nearly $1 billion from the U.S. government, which is helping to bankroll several vaccine candidates under its Operation Warp Speed program. More than 150 coronavirus vaccine candidates are in various stages of development, with some two dozen prospects having advanced to human testing. "Having a safe and effective vaccine distributed by the end of 2020 is a stretch goal, but it's the right goal for the American people," National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Francis Collins said in a release announcing the start of the large Phase III trial. Manufacturers are ramping up production while testing is underway in order to respond as soon as possible to virus, which is still spreading rapidly around the world. COVID-19 has killed more about 650,000 people worldwide and battered economies. Moderna could have tens of millions of doses ready when and if the vaccine is deemed safe and effective, Collins told reporters on a call. The large late-stage trial is designed to evaluate the safety of Moderna's mRNA-1273 vaccine and determine if it can prevent symptomatic COVID-19 after two doses. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease official, said a readout from the trial could come by November, December, or even earlier. Fauci said he was "not particularly concerned" about the vaccine's safety after seeing data from earlier, smaller trials. The study also seeks to determine whether the vaccine can prevent coronavirus-related deaths. Trial volunteers will receive two injections about 28 days apart of either 100 micrograms of mRNA-1273 or a placebo. Results of a small early-stage study published earlier this month showed volunteers who got two doses of Moderna's vaccine had levels of virus-killing antibodies that exceeded the average seen in people who had recovered from COVID-19. Moderna said it remains on track to deliver about 500 million doses a year, and possibly up to 1 billion doses a year, beginning 2021.

Moderna's COVID vaccine could be ready for use by year end: US 

US Moderna's first trial shows that Coronavirus vaccine is safe. US researchers reported on Tuesday. Volunteers who got two doses of the vaccine had high levels of virus-killing antibodies. Now final trial will start soon

Moderna phase 1 results shows Coronavirus vaccine safe, final trial soon

&nbsp;Israel has signed an agreement with Moderna Inc for the future purchase of its potential COVID-19 vaccine, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday.

The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based biotech firm last week confirmed plans to start a trial of 30,000 volunteers of its much-anticipated vaccine in July as the company enters the final stages of testing.

It is one of several vaccines being tested around the world as drugmakers race to combat the pandemic. There are currently no approved treatments or vaccines for COVID-19.

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"Israel has signed with the company Moderna an arrangement that will allow us to buy vaccines," Netanyahu said, according to a statement from his office.

"The company is advancing its development, they claim they can achieve it by the middle of next year, we hope that they succeed," he said. Financial details were not disclosed.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-says-its-spies-have-procured-coronavirus-kits-abroad-287415">Israel says its spies have procured coronavirus kits abroad</a>

Netanyahu added that Israel would continue its own efforts to develop a COVID-19 vaccine through the Israel Institute for Biological Research.

Israel - with a population of 9 million - has reported 19,783 novel coronavirus cases and 303 deaths. It has seen a spike in new infections since reopening schools, restaurants and many businesses last month.

Other countries, including France, Germany and Italy, have signed supply deals with British drugmaker AstraZeneca for its potential COVID-19 vaccine.

Israel has signed an agreement with Moderna Inc for the future purchase of its potential COVID-19 vaccine, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday. The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based biotech firm last week confirmed plans to start a trial of 30,000 volunteers of its much-anticipated vaccine in July as the company enters the final stages of testing.

Israel has signed an agreement with Moderna Inc for the future purchase of its potential COVID-19 vaccine, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday. The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based biotech firm last week confirmed plans to start a trial of 30,000 volunteers of its much-anticipated vaccine in July as the company enters the final stages of testing. It is one of several vaccines being tested around the world as drugmakers race to combat the pandemic. There are currently no approved treatments or vaccines for COVID-19. "Israel has signed with the company Moderna an arrangement that will allow us to buy vaccines," Netanyahu said, according to a statement from his office. "The company is advancing its development, they claim they can achieve it by the middle of next year, we hope that they succeed," he said. Financial details were not disclosed. Also read: Israel says its spies have procured coronavirus kits abroad Netanyahu added that Israel would continue its own efforts to develop a COVID-19 vaccine through the Israel Institute for Biological Research. Israel - with a population of 9 million - has reported 19,783 novel coronavirus cases and 303 deaths. It has seen a spike in new infections since reopening schools, restaurants and many businesses last month. Other countries, including France, Germany and Italy, have signed supply deals with British drugmaker AstraZeneca for its potential COVID-19 vaccine.

Israel signs agreement with Moderna for potential COVID-19 vaccine

One of the front runners in coronavirus vaccine, Moderna Inc has confirmed that they will begin the human trial of their vaccines in July as it enters the final stage of testing.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australian-pm-draws-criticism-for-his-no-slavery-in-australia-comment-305134" hreflang="en">Australian PM draws criticism for his "No slavery in Australia" comment</a>

The company will be testing the much-anticipated vaccine on 30,000 volunteers.&nbsp;

According to Cambridge, Massachusetts-based biotech, their primary goal of the study would be to prevent symptomatic coronavirus, the disease caused by COVID-19, their second goal will be the prevention of severe disease to keep people out of the hospital.&nbsp;

A 100-microgram dose has been selected by the company for the late-stage study and to maximize the immune response and minimize adverse reactions. Based on this dose level, the company aims to deliver 500 million doses per year and possibly up to 1 billion starting from 2021. The company is in a strategic collaboration with Swiss drugmaker Lonza.

The shares on Moderna Inc jumped 6 per cent in premarket trading.&nbsp;

The company has said that it has completed manufacturing enough doses for the phase 3 trial.&nbsp;

Around 100 vaccines are being developed across the world. Companies at the forefront in decrypting the virus include AstraZeneca, Pfizer, BioNtech, Johnson &amp; Johnson, Merck, Moderna, Sanofi and China's CanSino Biologics.

Coronavirus has infected over 7.2&nbsp; million people globally, as per data from the Johns Hopkins University.

One of the front runners in coronavirus vaccine, Moderna Inc has confirmed that they will begin the human trial of their vaccines in July as it enters the final stage of testing.

One of the front runners in coronavirus vaccine, Moderna Inc has confirmed that they will begin the human trial of their vaccines in July as it enters the final stage of testing. Also read: Australian PM draws criticism for his "No slavery in Australia" comment The company will be testing the much-anticipated vaccine on 30,000 volunteers. According to Cambridge, Massachusetts-based biotech, their primary goal of the study would be to prevent symptomatic coronavirus, the disease caused by COVID-19, their second goal will be the prevention of severe disease to keep people out of the hospital. A 100-microgram dose has been selected by the company for the late-stage study and to maximize the immune response and minimize adverse reactions. Based on this dose level, the company aims to deliver 500 million doses per year and possibly up to 1 billion starting from 2021. The company is in a strategic collaboration with Swiss drugmaker Lonza. The shares on Moderna Inc jumped 6 per cent in premarket trading. The company has said that it has completed manufacturing enough doses for the phase 3 trial. Around 100 vaccines are being developed across the world. Companies at the forefront in decrypting the virus include AstraZeneca, Pfizer, BioNtech, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Moderna, Sanofi and China's CanSino Biologics. Coronavirus has infected over 7.2 million people globally, as per data from the Johns Hopkins University.

Moderna Inc to begin final testing stage of coronavirus vaccine on 30,000 volunteers in July

US biotech firm Moderna said today that its vaccine for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/will-initiate-independent-evaluation-at-earliest-appropriate-moment-who-chief-on-coronvirus-pandemic-299468">COVID-19 </a>appeared to generate an immune response similar to the response seen in people who have been infected by the virus and recovered.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/vaccine-global-public-good-not-for-market-forces-french-government-on-sanofi-ceos-us-tilt-298742">Also Read: Vaccine global public good, not for market forces, says&nbsp;France on Sanofi CEO's US tilt</a>

The company said clinical tests of its vaccine against COVID-19 on volunteers showed "positive interim results".

Moderna’s chief medical officer Tal Zaks said: "Interim Phase 1 data, while early, demonstrate that vaccination with mRNA-1273 elicits an immune response of the magnitude caused by natural infection starting with a dose as low as 25 μg."

"The vaccine was generally safe and well tolerated," Moderna said.

“When combined with the success in preventing viral replication in the lungs of a pre-clinical challenge model at a dose that elicited similar levels of neutralising antibodies, these data substantiate our belief that mRNA-1273 has the potential to prevent COVID-19 disease and advance our ability to select a dose for pivotal trials,” Zaks added.

The company informed that the Phase-2 trial has already been given the go-ahead by the US Food and Drug Administration(FDA). Moderna said that phase 3 trials with a large number of volunteers would begin in July.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;

"The Moderna team continues to focus on moving as fast as safely possible to start our pivotal Phase 3 study in July," Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said, adding,"We are investing to scale up manufacturing so we can maximize the number of doses we can produce to help protect as many people as we can from SARS-CoV-2."

The vaccine is being developed along with the National Institutes of Health with the US government having invested half a billion into the research.

US biotech firm Moderna said today that its vaccine for COVID-19 appeared to generate an immune response similar to the response seen in people who have been infected by the virus and recovered.

US biotech firm Moderna said today that its vaccine for COVID-19 appeared to generate an immune response similar to the response seen in people who have been infected by the virus and recovered. Also Read: Vaccine global public good, not for market forces, says France on Sanofi CEO's US tilt The company said clinical tests of its vaccine against COVID-19 on volunteers showed "positive interim results". Moderna’s chief medical officer Tal Zaks said: "Interim Phase 1 data, while early, demonstrate that vaccination with mRNA-1273 elicits an immune response of the magnitude caused by natural infection starting with a dose as low as 25 μg." "The vaccine was generally safe and well tolerated," Moderna said. “When combined with the success in preventing viral replication in the lungs of a pre-clinical challenge model at a dose that elicited similar levels of neutralising antibodies, these data substantiate our belief that mRNA-1273 has the potential to prevent COVID-19 disease and advance our ability to select a dose for pivotal trials,” Zaks added. The company informed that the Phase-2 trial has already been given the go-ahead by the US Food and Drug Administration(FDA). Moderna said that phase 3 trials with a large number of volunteers would begin in July. "The Moderna team continues to focus on moving as fast as safely possible to start our pivotal Phase 3 study in July," Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said, adding,"We are investing to scale up manufacturing so we can maximize the number of doses we can produce to help protect as many people as we can from SARS-CoV-2." The vaccine is being developed along with the National Institutes of Health with the US government having invested half a billion into the research.

COVID-19 vaccine first human trial reflects possibility of creating 'immunity'

Harvard Medical School professor, Timothy Springer becomes a billionaire after investing in Moderna, the company discovering the vaccine for the novel coronavirus. The company, returned 17,000 per cent on investment.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/while-world-economies-struggle-american-billionaires-get-10-richer-during-coronavirus-pandemic-294358">Also read: While world economies struggle, American billionaires get 10% richer during coronavirus pandemic</a> 
 
The professor believed that he had enough before becoming a billionaire.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-19-vaccine-trial-on-humans-starts-in-uk-294384">Also read | COVID-19 vaccine trial on humans starts in UK</a>

In 2018, Springer said in an interview to media houses that he had sufficient wealth and he needs no more.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-nears-50000-coronavirus-deaths-more-than-85-lakh-infected-294382">Also read |&nbsp;US nears 50,000 coronavirus deaths, more than 8.5 lakh infected</a>

Attempts to discovering a vaccine to control the deadly virus surged the stock price of Moderna to more than $51 per share. The company was trading at $17 per share 6 months back. Not only did the stock price of the company increase but the net worth of Springer increased to more than $1 billion, according to data.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-may-have-known-of-coronavirus-in-november-us-renews-accusations-294377">Also read: China may have known of coronavirus in November — US renews accusations</a>

Moderna is among the first few companies to start the trials of its developed vaccine, mRNA-1273, for which the company will be paid over $400 million by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. There are around 70 vaccines in the process currently.

Having a value over $1 billion brings Springer in the list of the wealthiest academics in the US.&nbsp;

The last time when the net worth of the professor surged was when his first venture LeukoSite was taken over by Millennium Pharmaceuticals in 1999 as a part of the $635 million deal. Springer made a profit $100 million that time.

This 1999 incident made Springer an investor and he began putting money in different companies. He had initially bought 17.3 million shares of Moderna for $5 million as a part of his early investment. The value of that investment now stands at over $800 million. When the company went for an initial public offering (IPO), the value of Springer’s stake was about $400 million.&nbsp;

Apart from Moderna, the professor has invested in companies like Selecta Bioscience and Editas Medicine. He also became the founder of Morphic Therrapaeutics and Scholar Rock Holding.

Springer also runs a non-profit organisation called Institute for Protein Innovation to find effective antibodies. Some of the antibodies made by the body will be made open-source.

(With inputs from agencies)

Harvard Medical School professor, Timothy Springer becomes a billionaire after investing in Moderna, the company discovering the vaccine for the novel coronavirus.

Harvard Medical School professor, Timothy Springer becomes a billionaire after investing in Moderna, the company discovering the vaccine for the novel coronavirus. The company, returned 17,000 per cent on investment. Also read: While world economies struggle, American billionaires get 10% richer during coronavirus pandemic The professor believed that he had enough before becoming a billionaire. Also read | COVID-19 vaccine trial on humans starts in UK In 2018, Springer said in an interview to media houses that he had sufficient wealth and he needs no more. Also read | US nears 50,000 coronavirus deaths, more than 8.5 lakh infected Attempts to discovering a vaccine to control the deadly virus surged the stock price of Moderna to more than $51 per share. The company was trading at $17 per share 6 months back. Not only did the stock price of the company increase but the net worth of Springer increased to more than $1 billion, according to data. Also read: China may have known of coronavirus in November — US renews accusations Moderna is among the first few companies to start the trials of its developed vaccine, mRNA-1273, for which the company will be paid over $400 million by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. There are around 70 vaccines in the process currently. Having a value over $1 billion brings Springer in the list of the wealthiest academics in the US. The last time when the net worth of the professor surged was when his first venture LeukoSite was taken over by Millennium Pharmaceuticals in 1999 as a part of the $635 million deal. Springer made a profit $100 million that time. This 1999 incident made Springer an investor and he began putting money in different companies. He had initially bought 17.3 million shares of Moderna for $5 million as a part of his early investment. The value of that investment now stands at over $800 million. When the company went for an initial public offering (IPO), the value of Springer’s stake was about $400 million. Apart from Moderna, the professor has invested in companies like Selecta Bioscience and Editas Medicine. He also became the founder of Morphic Therrapaeutics and Scholar Rock Holding. Springer also runs a non-profit organisation called Institute for Protein Innovation to find effective antibodies. Some of the antibodies made by the body will be made open-source. (With inputs from agencies)

Harvard professor becomes a billionaire from stake in company discovering Covid-19 vaccine

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