Good News from Moderna Sparks Hopes for Mass Production of COVID-19 Vaccines... Multiple Launches Expected in 1Q Next Year

Moderna, "94.5% Efficacy in Interim Phase 3 Results"
Emergency Approval and Vaccinations Start by Year-End... 10 Million Doses Produced
Health Guidelines Crucial Until Next Year... Supply Shortage, Real Vaccine Effectiveness Needed

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] As the U.S. pharmaceutical company Moderna announced that its COVID-19 vaccine under development showed over 94% efficacy in interim results of its Phase 3 clinical trial, expectations are rising that COVID-19 vaccines will soon be mass-produced. Other pharmaceutical companies currently conducting Phase 3 trials are also accelerating vaccine development, leading to forecasts that the spread of COVID-19 could significantly slow down after the first quarter of next year. However, health experts emphasize that until vaccines are mass-produced, the spread must be controlled through mask-wearing and health guidelines.

According to foreign media including CNBC on the 16th (local time), Moderna announced that its COVID-19 vaccine showed 94.5% efficacy in interim results of its Phase 3 clinical trial. These interim results were compiled from 95 cases among a total of 30,000 clinical trial participants. Previously, Pfizer announced over 90% efficacy in its Phase 3 interim results, but Moderna's efficacy rate was found to be higher.

In particular, there is a positive outlook that Moderna's vaccine will be available on the market sooner than Pfizer's vaccine. The distribution process is crucial for vaccines, and Moderna's vaccine has less stringent distribution requirements compared to Pfizer's. According to the medical media Stat News, Moderna's vaccine maintains its efficacy for 30 days in medical refrigerators at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius. It can be stored for up to six months at temperatures below minus 20 degrees Celsius. This differs from Pfizer's vaccine, which requires storage and distribution at ultra-low temperatures below minus 70 degrees Celsius.

Moderna plans to apply for emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by early next month, and if granted fast-track status, approval is expected by the end of December. Moderna stated that once approval is obtained, vaccinations will begin by the end of the year. Initially, they plan to supply enough doses to vaccinate up to 10 million people.

Not only Moderna but other pharmaceutical companies conducting Phase 3 trials also plan to complete vaccine development by the first quarter of next year at the latest. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 97 types of vaccines are currently under development worldwide, with 10 of them in Phase 3 trials. Excluding five vaccines from China and Russia, which have raised safety concerns, vaccines from Moderna, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, and Novavax are considered promising candidates for combating COVID-19.

However, health experts caution that it is still too early to be complacent just because highly effective vaccines have been released. There is a shortage of initial vaccine supplies, and it remains uncertain how effective the vaccines will be in actual COVID-19 patients. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and a leading authority on infectious diseases, said in an interview with CNN on the same day, "While a vaccine showing over 90% efficacy is reassuring, we do not know how effective it will be in real-world settings outside the laboratory," adding, "Even if vaccines are released by the end of the year, the supply will be insufficient for priority groups, so public health measures must continue into next year."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.