Promising early data from a Phase 1 trial of the company’s experimental Zika vaccine indicates that the Zika vaccine candidate, mRNA-1893, effectively boosted seropositive participants at two dose levels (10 µg and 30 µg) and was found to be generally well-tolerated.

Our Zika programme ... underscore our commitment to improving global public health

“I am encouraged by these interim Phase I data showing the ability of mRNA-1893 to elicit a strong neutralising antibody response,” said Tal Zaks, Moderna’s Chief Medical Officer. “Our Zika programme, along with our continued work on a vaccine candidate against the novel coronavirus, underscore our commitment to improving global public health through developing mRNA vaccines to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.”

Indeed, Moderna is also working on a Covid-19 vaccine and the company’s CEO, Stéphane Bancel, said that the positive experience with Moderna’s experimental vaccines so far makes him confident that the Covid-19 vaccine will work.

“This is the 10th vaccine we’ve put in the clinic with Moderna’s mRNA platform,” Bancel said. “We expect the safety and tolerability profile of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine to be very similar from the other vaccines. And so, I think we start to be in a place where we are cautiously optimistic.”