Researchers work in a lab at Moderna Inc.’s headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Tuesday, March 26, 2024.
Adam Glanzman Bloomberg | Getty Images
This winter, norovirus is raging across the United States. moderna A vaccine may be available soon.
Large-scale phase 3 clinical trials of the vaccine are underway, with results expected as early as later this year or in 2026. Moderna needs to see a certain number of cases and develop a timeline before analyzing data to determine how effective its vaccine is. flux. The 25,000-person study is enrolling ahead of schedule, said Doran Fink, Moderna’s clinical therapeutic area leader for gastrointestinal and bacterial pathogens.
“While we don’t know if this season’s increased norovirus rates are directly responsible, we are clearly very interested in participating in this trial,” Fink said.
Norovirus is a nasty gastroenteritis that causes vomiting and diarrhea. It is highly contagious and can spread easily in places like nursing homes, day cares, and cruise ships. It is a seasonal disease that is generally seen in winter.
This winter has been particularly harsh. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were twice as many positive norovirus tests in January compared to the same period last year. Norovirus cases have increased 36% so far this season as of Dec. 11, according to the CDC.
There is currently no vaccine for norovirus. Like influenza, there are many types of norovirus, making vaccination difficult.
Moderna’s vaccine candidate targets three genotypes that the company says commonly cause most infections. It works by presenting the immune system with something that resembles norovirus but is not contagious, so the body can learn how to fight back if it gets infected with the real thing.
The company’s vaccine candidate does not include the genotypes that are causing the majority of infections this year. Fink said one of the goals of the study is to see if the vaccine can prevent more types of norovirus than what it specifically targets. He said mRNA vaccines have an advantage because they can be easily adjusted as needed.
Moderna’s goal is not to completely prevent people from getting norovirus. That’s a high bar for any vaccine, and it’s especially difficult to achieve with norovirus because symptoms start within 12 to 24 hours of infection, Fink said. Instead, the goal is to make people feel a little less awful and avoid having to see a doctor or go to the hospital if they become infected.
The company believes a major opportunity lies in vaccinating older adults, who are particularly vulnerable to norovirus complications such as dehydration. According to the CDC, people 65 and older account for the majority of the estimated 900 Americans who will die from complications caused by norovirus.
Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said last week at the JPMorgan Healthcare Conference that Moderna considers health care workers, childcare workers and other teachers who come into contact with young children to potentially be eligible. He said that He said people going on cruises are another possibility, as the virus can spread easily on ships where people live in close quarters.
RBC analyst Luca Issi said investors are wondering whether Moderna can make this vaccine a commercially viable opportunity — assuming, of course, the vaccine is effective. He believes the bullets are primarily used to protect people living in nursing homes and people on cruises.
At this time, Moderna is not testing its vaccine in children, who are also susceptible to norovirus. But if the shot worked in adults, Dolan said Moderna would be obligated to study it in children.
