Investigational Vaccine for COVID-19 Is Now Being Studied

An investigational vaccine for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is being evaluated in a Phase 1 clinical trial, the National Institutes of Health reports.

To determine the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness in inducing an immune response, researchers in Seattle, Washington, will be administering different doses of the experimental vaccine to healthy volunteers.

“Finding a safe and effective vaccine to prevent infection with SARS-CoV-2 is an urgent public health priority,” said Anthony S. Fauci, MD, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. “This Phase 1 study, launched in record speed, is an important first step toward achieving that goal.”

Over 6 weeks, the researchers will be enrolling 45 participants aged 18 to 55 years. The first participant received the investigational vaccine—called mRNA-1273—on March 16, 2020.

While the mRNA-1273 vaccine has shown promise in animal models, this is the first trial to examine the vaccine in humans.

The participants will receive 2 doses of the vaccine via intramuscular injection in the upper arm approximately 28 days apart. Each participant will receive doses of either 25 mcg, 100 mcg, or 250 mcg at both vaccinations; 15 participants will be in each dose group.

Participants will be followed-up between the 2 vaccinations and then for 1 year after the second vaccination.

—Colleen Murphy

Reference:

NIH clinical trial of investigational vaccine for COVID-19 begins. News release. National Institutes of Health. March 16, 2020. Accessed March 17, 2020. https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-clinical-trial-investigational-vaccine-covid-19-begins.