3 ms·
At least one phase 3 clinical trial is about to start this month. I too am surprised that the one year estimate is not complete nonsense, but it seems it's not.
by pas 6y ago
At least one phase 3 clinical trial is about to start this month. I too am surprised that the one year estimate is not complete nonsense, but it seems it's not. (Of course the mRNA vector might simply not pan out, but there are still others currently undergoing phase 2.)
Efficacy is always a question, sure, yet it seems the spike protein is stable (conserved across mutations).
If the mRNA stuff works well then it'll likely work for the flu too. (It be easy to pack one shot full if flu strains.)
- disgruntledphd2 6y agoPhase 3 is normally where most medicines fail. Covid (any vaccine based treatment really) is even more difficult as you need to wait for six months to assess transmission.
- gridlockd 6y ago> Covid (any vaccine based treatment really) is even more difficult as you need to wait for six months to assess transmission. Technically, you don't. There are volunteers ready to get infected with SARS-CoV2 and I wouldn't put my money on "ethics" standing in the way in this case.
- disgruntledphd2 6y agoThat is true, but you still need a relatively long time to make sure there aren't any nasty side-effects.
- jessaustin 6y agoMy understanding is that the spike protein already mutated in the human population, some time in January or early February. Researchers who started work on earlier samples had to start over because the later spike protein version has such superior fitness that it has largely replaced the earlier version in the wild. So, stability over e.g. a month doesn't guarantee stability over longer terms.