Moderna's successful tests in creating the best choice for a Coronavirus vaccine is now facing scrutiny by other health experts. It was told that the vaccine may not be as real as the doctors from Moderna may be presented it to be. Doctors from the same field said that these were only "bunch of opinions in a press release with no data."
U.S. top choice for COVID-19 Vaccine may not be true after all, accuses experts
Tech Times reported this week about Moderna's leading Coronavirus vaccine in the United States. This biotech company based in the country already completed its first clinical trials and now heading to phase 2. This is the very first vaccine in the U.S that reached this far.
However, the celebration for this triumph may be paused for a little while. ABC News reported that a group of health experts--on the same field-- reached out to the government to tackle the unanswered issues regarding Moderna's drug.
They accuse the vaccine as having no data to support the claim of its successful tests. Experts also question the company's decision to publicize the drug's preliminary tests, way too early.
It was even called only "bunch of opinions in a press release with no data" by Dr. Peter Jay Hotez, Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine and Professor of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology & Microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine. And added, "You don't do science by press release."
Hotez was one of the experts unconvinced with Moderna's data. He said that the early announcement of the company regarding the vaccine may cause a 'damaging effect' to the world since they already boasted that the vaccine may appear this year or until 2021. Contrary to what most health experts believe that would take a long time.
Dr. Andrew Pavia, Chief of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Disease at the University of Utah, also backed up Dr. Hotez.
"Good science requires that we can see the methods and the details of the results," Dr. Pavia told ABC News. "It is a product of the pressures of the pandemic, but it leaves many questions unanswered."
Moderna did not do it for Americans, but for investors
Moderna's stock soared after the media released the announcement on Monday, May 18. A day after this, a surge of 20% happened to its stocks. But a report from STAT News changed this due to controversies behind the drug-- turning the 20% to 10% on Wednesday, May 20.
This is what experts believe to be the motive of the company behind the early announcement.
"They are not speaking to the American public," said Dr. Hotez. "They are speaking to their investors and their shareholders, and that's the way they do business."
Moderna's Chief Executive Officer Stéphane Bancel, however, denies all these claims.
"The totality of data from our vaccines platform gives us reason to be optimistic about the prospects for our vaccines to come, including our vaccine against the novel coronavirus," she said.
