A potential coronavirus vaccine has been deemed to be 94.5% effective at preventing people from getting the virus.
US pharmaceutical company Moderna made the claim – based on preliminary data – on Monday.
It comes just a week after a similar announcement from competitor Pfizer, which determined that its vaccine candidate is 90% effective.
“This is a pivotal moment in the development of our COVID-19 vaccine candidate. Since early January, we have chased this virus with the intent to protect as many people around the world as possible. All along, we have known that each day matters,” said Stéphane Bancel, chief executive officer of Moderna.
“This positive interim analysis from our Phase 3 study has given us the first clinical validation that our vaccine can prevent COVID-19 disease, including severe disease,” Bancel added.
The hopeful news from both companies comes as many European countries are in the middle of a second lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19, with hospitals nearly at capacity.
Meanwhile, the US has also recorded record numbers of infections per day.
Moderna’s phase three trials – to determine the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness – had enrolled more than 30,000 participants in the US. Pfizer had enrolled more than 43,500 participants.
Representatives from both companies hailed the results as an important “milestone” in their vaccine development.
The Moderna vaccine’s efficacy is determined by the appearance of 95 COVID-19 cases among participants, of which 90 cases “were observed in the placebo group versus 5 cases observed” in those who were vaccinated.
There were 11 severe cases among participants who were not vaccinated and none among those who had received two vaccine doses.
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