Moderna announces 94.5% effectiveness in Covid vaccine (Ld)

By Nikhila Natarajan New York, Nov 16 : For the second time in the span of 10 days after the US elections, there’s a Covid-19 gamechanger on the horizon with US pharma giant Moderna announcing that its vaccine has shown more than 94.5 per cent effectiveness in preliminary data from the company’s ongoing study.
Pfizer Inc had announced 90 per cent efficacy exactly a week ago. Taken together, these two vaccines are firmly on course to seek emergency use authorisation from the US Food and Drug Administration if results hold out in final study results due soon.
“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,” said Stephane Bancel, Chief Executive Officer at Moderna.
“All along, we have known that each day matters. This positive interim analysis from our Phase 3 study has given us the first clinical validation that our vaccine can prevent the Covid-19 disease, including severe disease,” Bancel added.
Anthony Fauci from Trump’s coronavirus task force is optimistic that these early vaccines will change the course of “everything we do” over the next few months.
Pfizer’s final results are due in the third week of November – around the time of the Thanksgiving holiday.