LIVE BLOG: R&D Response to COVID-19 Pandemic

US biotech Moderna announced that it has completed enrollment of 30,000 participants for the phase III COVE study of mRNA-1273, its vaccine candidate against COVID-19, being conducted in collaboration with National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority.

To date, more than 25,650 participants have received their second vaccination. As of today, the COVE study includes more than 7,000 Americans over the age of 65 and more than 5,000 under the age of 65 with chronic diseases that put them at increased risk of severe COVID-19, such as diabetes, severe obesity and cardiac disease. 

The primary endpoint of the trial is the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19 disease. The formal study efficacy analysis will be triggered when 151 of the volunteers have tested positive for COVID-19 infection, with two earlier interim analyses after 53 and 106 cases.