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A 30,000-patient trial of Moderna’s coronavirus
vaccine candidate, expected to start next week, has been delayed, a
potential hurdle in the company’s ambitious effort to deliver key data
by Thanksgiving.
Moderna is making changes to the
trial plan, called a protocol, which has pushed back the expected start
date of the Phase 3 study, according to investigators. The
investigators, who spoke on condition of anonymity, emphasized that
protocol changes are common but said it’s not clear how long the start
will be delayed.
“My understanding was that they
wanted to get the first vaccines given in July, and they say they’re
still committed to do that,” one investigator said. “As best I can tell,
they’re close to being on target for that.”