Moderna Inc has said that its Covid-19 vaccine candidate was well tolerated across age-groups.
Making a presentation at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (ACIP) meeting, the company said, “At the 100 µg dose, mRNA-1273 was generally safe and well-tolerated in all age cohorts.” Further it added that “Neutralising antibody titers and T-cell responses in the 56-70 and 71+ age cohorts were consistent with those reported in younger adults.”
The development is critical as the elderly and people with co-morbidities like diabetes, hypertension were seen to be among the worst-affected by the novel coronavirus, across the world. Experts indicate that studies in the elderly population are also significant since they have a weaker immune response, which could change the number of doses they may require.
Early stage trails of most Covid vaccine candidates were largely done in the 18-55 years age groups. And as a clutch of them undertake advanced Phase III trials, they will evaluate the doses in older people and those with co-morbidities, representatives with some of these companies had told
Giving a manufacturing update as well, Moderna said, it was on track to supply 500 million to 1 billion doses per year at the Phase 3 selected dose of 100 µg. Presently, storage and distribution conditions were -20° Celsius, with point of care temperature at normal refrigerated conditions 2-8° Celsius, the company said. Further, it added that no onsite dilution or special handling was needed.
As of Tuesday, the company said, 15,239 participants had been enrolled in the studies.
Other Covid-vaccines in advanced stages of trials include those from Oxford-University-AstraZeneca and Pfizer, besides candidates from China’s Sinopharma and CanSino. This, even as Russia announced that it had a ready Covid-19 vaccine.
(eom)