American biotechnology company, Moderna, announced, yesterday, its COVID-19 vaccine could be up to 94.5 percent effective.
The news came a week after another U.S. drug maker, Pfizer, announced the development of a vaccine with 90 percent effectiveness.
In a statement, Moderna said after its phase three trial, the vaccine met statistical criteria with an efficacy rate of 94.5 percent. However, experts are warning that the numbers are not conclusive, as both estimates could increase or decrease as trials continue. The company requires the approval of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to roll out the vaccine for mass immunization.
Moderna said it would ask the FDA for emergency use authorization (EUA) on a small group of higher-risk individuals.
It stated that the application, to be made in the coming weeks, would include at least two months of safety data after the last injection in half the volunteers.
The company added that the FDA application would include the “final analysis” of 151 cases of COVID-19 in its trial, rather than just the initial 95 cases.
This puts it on track along with Pfizer for possible limited authorization by the FDA as soon as December.
Moderna is expected to have 20 million doses to go along with Pfizer’s 50 million for global distribution before more can be made in 2021
