Moderna Prepping For Coronavirus Vaccine Launch

Moderna is positioning itself for a worldwide launch of a possible coronavirus vaccine, a promising development by one of the global leaders in the race for a vaccine.

The Cambridge-based company has received $1.1 billion in deposits from the U.S. and other governments for a supply, it said in a third-quarter earnings report Thursday morning

Moderna expects to share interim data from a large late-stag trial in November, which would lead to it filing for emergency use authorization.

"We are actively preparing for the launch of mRNA-1273 and we have signed a number of supply agreements with governments around the world," CEO Stéphane Bancel said in the report.

Bancel said the the interim Phase 2 data was "positive," and the company is preparing for what it called a "pivotal" Phase 3 study that will begin next year.

"Moderna is committed to the highest data quality standards and rigorous scientific research as we continue to work with regulators to advance mRNA-1273,” she said.

Moderna is working with COVAX on a tiered pricing proposal. COVAX is backed by the World Health Organization.

Several companies are racing to become the first out with a vaccine as the pandemic rages on across the country and globe.

Massachusetts has said it expects 20,000-60,000 doses of a vaccine in the early stages of distribution. Health care workers who are at risk of being exposed to the virus will be at the top of the list to receive the vaccines, followed by high-risk and older individuals and essential workers.