Moderna reported May 18 that its COVID-19 vaccine, the first of its kind to test human subjects, safely creates an immune response against coronavirus, according to The New York Times.
The vaccine stimulates the creation of antibodies that can stop coronavirus from replicating, and the levels of those neutralizing antibodies were found to match the levels in recovered COVID-19 patients. The biotech company's findings are based on results from the first trial beginning in March, in which eight volunteers each received two doses.
The Food and Drug Administration approved Moderna's second phase of the trial, which will begin soon and involve 600 people. A third phase is planned for July and is slated to include thousands of volunteers.
Depending on the success of the coming trials, the vaccine could become available for widespread use by the year's end or early 2021.