Moderna fully enrolls phase 3 trial for COVID-19 vaccine candidate, with heavy emphasis on traditionally under-represented communities

Moderna Inc., today announced the completion of enrollment for its COVID-19 vaccine phase 3 trial.

The drug maker said that it has confirmed 30,000 participants for an efficacy study of mRNA-1273. Moderna and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases developed the candidate, which generated a strong immune response in older adults during its phase 1 clinical trial.

Communities that have historically been under-represented in clinical research and are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 have significant representation among the trial enrollees. Moderna said the study includes more than 11,000 participants from communities of color, representing 37% of the study population and similar to the diversity of the U.S. at large. This includes more than 6,000 participants who identify as Hispanic or Latinx, and more than 3,000 participants who identify as Black or African American.