Moderna plans local vaccine trial
IN PERSON CLASSES.
NIA HARDEN WILL SHOW US WHAT IS
IN STORE FOR HIS VISIT.
THIS IS TWO DAYS AFTER PRESIDENT
TRUMP STOPPED IN THE TRIANGLE TO
TOUR A FACILITY PRODUCING
COMPONENTS FOR A NEW COVID-19
VACCINE.
>>> DOZENS OF COMPANIES ARE
WORKING ON POTENTIAL VACCINES
BUT ONLY ONE HAS REACHED PHASE
THREE IN THE UNITED STATES, THE
LAST PHASE BEFORE APPROVAL.
THAT IS MODERNA.
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI COMMENTED ON
THE NEWS IN AN INTERVIEW ON FOX
NEWS LAST NIGHT
THIS IS THE FASTEST WE HAVE GONE
FROM THE IDENTIFICATION OF A NEW
VIRUS, DOING THE SEQUENCE,
GETTING A VACCINE AND GOING INTO
A PHASE THREE TRIAL FOR
EFFICACY.
WE HAVE INCREASED TECHNOLOGIES
THAT HAVE BEEN TRANSFORMING HOW
WE DO VACCINE TRIALS.
>> WE ARE REPORTING ON A LOCAL
TRIAL FOR THIS VACCINE.
JOINING US NOW IS RANDALL KERR,
SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER
AND PRODUCER TO TALK ABOUT THAT
REPORTING, AND WHAT YOU NEED TO
KNOW TO VOLUNTEER FOR THE TRIAL.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US, GOOD
TO SEE YOU.
GOOD MORNING, LENA.
>> HOW DID YOU LEARN ABOUT THIS
LOCAL TRIAL AND WHICH DOCTORS
WERE OVER SEEING IT?
>> WITH THE TRIANGLE BEING SUCH
A TECH HUB, WE FIGURED THERE
WILL BE A LOT OF COMPANIES WITH
A HAND IN THE VACCINE PRODUCTION
AND TESTING.
SO WE HAVE BEEN REACHING OUT ALL
OVER THE TRIANGLE.
I WAS SET UP WITH THE CEO OF
WAKE RESEARCH ABOUT TWO AND A
HALF WEEKS AGO AND WE PLAYED
EMAIL TAG FOR A WHILE AND THEN
FINALLY THEY OFFERED UP ONE OF
THE DOCTORS WHO IS OVER SEEING
SOME OF THE LOCAL TRIALS AND WE
INTERVIEWED HIM LAST WEEK.
GREAT TIMING WITH THE
PRESIDENT'S VISIT ON MONDAY.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
WHAT MAKES MODERNA STAND OUT
AMONG ALL OF THE COMPANIES
WORKING TO DEVELOP A VACCINE?
AND WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED
SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THIS TRIAL
THAT THIS WAKE RESEARCH IS GOING
TO BE DOING?
>> IT MAKES MODERNA STAND OUT
BECAUSE THEY ARE FIRST IN LINE
RIGHT NOW.
THERE IS NO OTHER CORONAVIRUS
VACCINE IN PHASE THREE WHICH IS
THE LAST STEP BEFORE APPROVAL
WHICH WOULD LEAD TO
MANUFACTURING WHICH COULD LEAD
TO FINAL DISTRIBUTION TO
EVERYONE.
IT IS THE ONLY VACCINE IN THE
U.S. IN PHASE THREE.
THERE ARE TWO VACCINES IN PHASE
THREE IN OTHER PARTS OF THE
WORLD.
I KNOW ONE IS IN UNITED ARAB
EMIRATES.
BUT THIS IS THE ONLY ONE IN THE
U.S..
PFIZER IS NOT THAT FAR BEHIND
BUT MODERNA IS UP FRONT.
WAKE RESEARCH IS CONDUCTING
CLINICAL TRIALS ON MODERNA'S
BEHALF IN SIX DIFFERENT CITIES.
TWO OF THEM ARE RIGHT HERE,
RALEIGH AND FAYETTEVILLE WHICH
IS REALLY COOL.
>> AND HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL BE
PARTICIPATING IN THIS TRIAL AND
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?
BECAUSE THERE COULD BE PEOPLE IN
OUR AREA WHO WANT TO GET
INVOLVED.
>> SURE, SURE.
PHASE THREE IS HUGE.
SO WE ARE TALKING TENS OF
THOUSANDS.
AT LEAST 30,000 PEOPLE ACROSS
THE COUNTRY WILL TAKE PART IN
THIS TRIAL.
LOCALLY, THEY ARE LOOKING FOR
PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY AT RISK
FOR CORONAVIRUS FOR THIS TRIAL.
THEY ARE TRYING TO TARGET
ELDERLY, MINORITY COMMUNITIES,
ESSENTIAL WORKERS, DOCTORS,
NURSES, PEOPLE WHO COULD HAVE
EXPOSURE TO CORONAVIRUS.
THOSE ARE THEIR TARGETS.
THAT'S NOT SAYING THAT'S ONLY
WHO THEY WILL ACCEPT BUT THAT'S
WHO THEY ARE GOING AFTER.
IT IS REALLY EASY.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED AND WANT
TO THROW YOUR NAME IN THE HAT,
TEXT COVID TO 9192768331 IF YOU
ARE IN RALEIGH.
IF YOU ARE IN FAYETTEVILLE, TEXT
COVID TO 910-463-5578.
AND YOU WILL GET -- THEY'LL
CONTACT YOU AND SEE IF YOU ARE A
GOOD CANDIDATE.
IF THEY ACCEPT YOU, YOU WILL BE
COMPENSATED FOR TIME AND TRAVEL.
IT IS USUALLY TWO DIFFERENT
DOSES ABOUT 30 DAYS APART AND
THEY WILL TEST YOU FOR
ANTIBODIES.
ONCE THEY DO THAT AND EVERYTHING
IS APPROVED, THEY WILL SUBMIT TO
FDA AND HOPEFULLY WE WILL HAVE
AT LEAST ONE VACCINE THAT CAN
ALLOW US TO RETURN TO A LITTLE
NORMALCY.
>> AND HOPEFULLY WE HAVE IT AS
SOON AS POSSIBLE.
I DID WANT TO ASK YOU, THIS ALL
CAME TO BE RIGHT AS THE
PRESIDENT WAS COMING TO VISIT A
FACILITY THAT IS WORKING WITH
NOV O VAX.
TALK ABOUT THAT INCREDIBLE
TIMING.
>> THAT WAS ALL LUCK.
I WAS SUPPOSED TO INTERVIEW WAKE
RESEARCH'S CEO ABOUT TWO AND A
HALF WEEKS AGO AND THERE WAS A
SCHEDULING CONFLICT.
SO THEY OFFERED UP THIS DOCTOR
LAST WEEK AND BY THE LUCK OF
SCHEDULING, THE PRESIDENT
DECIDED TO VISIT WHEN WE WERE
AIRING OUR STORY.
THIS AREA IS REALLY A HUB FOR
VACCINE AND DEVELOPMENT AND
PRODUCTION.
>> WE ARE SO FORTUNATE TO LIVE
HERE.