By
Godfrey Benjamin
October 4th, 2023
Moderna (MRNA) stock has positively reacted to the news about good results shown by the company’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate.
Following a research study published in the New England Journal of Medicine which shows that Moderna Inc (NASDAQ: MRNA) COVID-19 vaccine generated similar neutralizing antibodies in older and elderly adults at levels comparable to those in younger adults. Moderna (MRNA) is one of the top pharmaceutical companies in a frantic race to land authorization for the COVID-19 vaccine it’s currently developing and per the report, the finding has caused a soothing relief as many feared that successful vaccines may not be as effective in older adults due to a more weakened immune system.
The researchers were from Emory University in Atlanta and the research included two groups of 20 people each, one made up of people aged 56 to 70 and one of the people 71 and over. Participants were enrolled in Atlanta, Seattle, and Bethesda, Maryland. As reported by Reuters, the study was an extension of Moderna’s Phase I safety trial, first conducted in individuals aged 18-55. It tested two doses of Moderna’s vaccine – 25 micrograms and 100 micrograms – in 40 adults aged 56 to 70 and 71 and older.
The study reveals that the Moderna (MRNA) mRNA-1273 COVID-19 Vaccine candidate produced similar neutralizing antibodies in older adults as seen in younger ones. Two cases with side effects were however recorded with the cases ranging from mild fever to disruptive fatigue.
“The immune responses were very comparable to that of the young adults,” said Dr. Evan Anderson, a professor of infectious disease at Emory University Medical School and lead author on the paper. He added:
“With increasing age, our immune responses generally decline and a number of different vaccines tend to not work as well as we get older. That’s why we have the high dose influenza vaccine for people 65 and above. The fact that that 100 microgram dose (of Moderna’s COVID vaccine) seemed to be sufficient to generate a similar immune response in older people is a very pleasant finding.”
The positive feedback from the Emory University research has set a new course for Moderna’s shares with closed 0.043% on Tuesday. The shares surged more than 3% in the pre-market, consolidating its over 251% growth this year.
MRNA Vaccine Study Consolidates Phase 3 Trial
The Moderna (MRNA) vaccine study for potential response in older adults has consolidated earlier findings in Moderna’s previous trial, which has proceeded into its third phase trial as Coinspeaker earlier reported.
“These interim Phase 1 data suggests that mRNA-1273, our vaccine candidate for the prevention of COVID-19, can generate neutralizing antibodies in older and elderly adults at levels comparable to those in younger adults,” said Tal Zaks, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer of Moderna. “Given the increased morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 in older and elderly adults, these data give us optimism in demonstrating mRNA-1273’s protection in this population, which is being evaluated in the Phase 3 COVE study.”
Moderna said it will know by November if its vaccine candidate is ultimately effective in its current late-stage trial involving over 25,000 participants.
The illustrations were provided by Depositphotos.com