June 11 (UPI) -- U.S. biotech company Moderna announced Thursday it has finalized plans to begin the final stage of its clinical trial for a possible COVID-19 vaccine next month.
Moderna said 30,000 participants in the trial will be enrolled in July for its mRNA-1273 vaccine candidate.
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The Massachusetts-based company said the main goal is inoculating people against symptomatic COVID-19. A secondary goal for the vaccine is keeping patients out of the hospital with severe illness from the coronavirus.
The company said it's finalized protocols with the Food and Drug Administration for the third and final phase of the vaccine candidate. Moderna is presently in the second stage of the trial.
"Moderna is committed to advancing the clinical development ... as safely and quickly as possible to demonstrate our vaccine's ability to significantly reduce the risk of COVID-19 disease," Moderna Chief Medical Officer Dr. Tal Zaks said in a statement.
The company's first clinical study determined that 100 milligrams is the optimal dose level for the potential vaccine. Moderna said it plans to deliver between 500 million and 1 billion doses per year, starting in 2021, in a collaboration with Swiss drugmaker Lonza.
The second stage, which began last month, involves 600 participants and is assessing the safety and efficacy of the vaccine candidate.
There are a number of potential coronavirus vaccines presently in development.
Scenes from a pandemic: World copes with COVID-19
An anti-government protester rallies in front of French security forces as they arrest militants attempting to gather at Republic Square in Paris on May 11. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI | License Photo
The French authorities started lifting the coronavirus lockdown on May 11, but people living in regions that are most at risk, notably in Paris, still face tight restrictions. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI | License Photo
Students leave school as the threat level of coronavirus has been officially lowered and a few schools open in Beijing on May 11. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo
People in China continue to wear protective face masks while visiting a shopping area in Beijing. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo
A medical worker stands by before the simulation for drive-through coronavirus testing at the Kashima soccer Stadium in Ibaraki-Prefecture, Japan on May 10. Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Photo
A medical worker collects a sample for polymerase chain reaction tests for coronavirus during a simulation for drive-through. Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Photo
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson claps outside Downing Street in London to show his support for key workers during the coronavirus pandemic in London on May 7. Photo by Hugo Philpott/UPI | License Photo
Shoppers wear masks while shopping in the Mahane Yehuda Market in Jerusalem, on May 7. Israel opened malls and outdoor markets after they suffered more than 40 days of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic restrictions. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI | License Photo
Shoppers visit the Rami Levy Atarot Mall, north of Jerusalem, on May 7. The Atarot Mall is the first Israeli-Palestinian Mall. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI | License Photo
A security guard checks the temperature of a woman before granting her entrance to the Rami Levy Atarot Mall. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI | License Photo
A young ballerina" wears a protective face mask while walking with her mom in Beijing on May 4. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo
Pedestrians walk through an empty tourist area wearing protective face masks. China's capital lowered its emergency response to the novel coronavirus pandemic from the top level to the second leve on April 30, the "latest sign of social order restoration as the epidemic conditions have been eased," according to state media. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo
Some are no longer practicing social distancing but continue to wear protective face masks in Beijing. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo
A resident displays a banner marked "merci," thank you, from her home window in recognition of health workers' efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in Paris on April 28. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI | License Photo
A bar owner offers takeaway beers from his closed bistro in Paris. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI | License Photo
A resident bangs a cooking pan with a wooden spoon from her balcony to make noise for health workers in Paris as the country enters its sixth week of confinement. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI | License Photo
The French premier announced Tuesday that protective masks, which have been in severe shortage since the outbreak of the pandemic, will be available for everyone starting May 11. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI | License Photo
A tailor tends to self-made cotton masks for sale at his shop. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI | License Photo
Israelis wear mandatory face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic while observing two minutes of silence as sirens wail across the country for Remembrance Day For Fallen Soldiers and Terror Victims in Jerusalem on April 28. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI | License Photo
A shop displays the national flag for Remembrance Day and Independence Day. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI | License Photo
An Israeli soldier wears a mask for protection against the coronavirus, while saluting the graves of fallen soldiers before Memorial Day at the Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem on April 26. Bereaved families will be forbidden to visit the cemetery on Israel's Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers and Terror Victims, which begins at sunset April 27 in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI | License Photo
Pedestrians no longer practice safe "social distancing" but continue to wear protective face masks while visiting a popular entertainment area in Beijing on April 26. As the rest of the world, especially the United States, is wrestling with the deadly novel coronavirus pandemic, daily life in China is gradually returning to normal. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo
Israeli police arrest a vendor of the famous outdoor market Mahane Yehuda during a protest against the extended closure of the marketplace, while the Israeli government has eased coronavirus restrictions for other businesses on April 26 in Jerusalem. The protesters banged pans and shouted against the opening of IKEA, while they are forced to remain closed. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI | License Photo
Pedestrians continue to wear protective face masks outside even though the government has declared the threat of the COVID-19 outbreak basically finished in Beijing on April 21. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo
Protective face masks are sold next to the imported cheese counter at a supermarket in Beijing. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo
Newlyweds pose for wedding photos without wearing protective face masks as the government has declared the threat of the COVID-19 outbreak basically finished in Beijing on April 19. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo
China has refuted charges from U.S. intelligence officials that it concealed the true extent of its coronavirus outbreak, although multiple revisions to its epidemic data have fueled mistrust both at home and from other countries. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo
Fewer than usual visitors are seen at the Isezakicho Shopping district in Yokohama, Kanagawa-Prefecture, Japan on April 19. Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Photo
Palestinian Imam Ali Hamdan delivers the call for prayer alone at the Al-Abrar Mosque in Rafah southern Gaza, on April 17. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI | License Photo
Palestinian Security forces wear personal protective equipment as a precaution against the coronavirus at the Rafah border crossing with Egypt in the southern Gaza Strip on April 13. The crossing was temporarily reopened for four days. The Palestinian government in Gaza prepares to receive 3,000 return travelers to Gaza. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI | License Photo
Pedestrians walk past a police vehicle in Jerusalem on April 12. The Israeli government deployed 1,000 police officers to enforce a full closure on Jewish religious neighborhoods with the highest rate of coronavirus. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI | License Photo
Visitors walk by the St. Joseph Catholic Church, closed due to the pandemic, on Easter in Beijing on April 12. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo
A message "Together we can all win" is displayed at the Tokyo Skytree on April 11. Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Photo
Fewer than usual pedestrians are seen on the street at Kabukicho shopping and entertainment district in Tokyo on April 11. Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Photo
A pedestrian watches people ride their bikes in Beijing on April 9. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo
Medical personnel stand outside the Muscat Medical Center as people leave quarantine, arriving through a border crossing into the Gaza strip on April 6. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI | License Photo
Palestinians leave the Muscat Medical Center after 21 days in quarantine, following an order to protect against potential coronavirus spread in the Gaza strip. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI | License Photo
Pope Francis celebrates Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on April 5. Pool Photo by Haring Spaziani/UPI | License Photo
The Palm Sunday Mass was celebrated without the presence of the public as Italy battles the coronavirus. Pool Photo by Haring Spaziani/UPI | License Photo
A Catholic priest reads on Palm Sunday in the Old City of Jerusalem on April 5. The traditional Palm Sunday Procession on the Mount of Olives was cancelled due to the outbreak of COVID-19. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI | License Photo
Youths dressed as clowns put on a show on the street to entertain children confined at home in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on April 4. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI | License Photo
Few pedestrians walk at Joshidai koji entertainment district in Nagoya, Aichi-Prefecture, Japan on April 5. Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Photo
Tourists take photos at Maruyama Park in Kyoto, Japan, on April 4. Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Photo
Tourists visit Chinatown in Kobe, Hyogo prefecture, Japan, on April 4. Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Photo
Palestinians make cakes shaped like a character wearing a mask in a bakery in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on April 3. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI | License Photo
A woman shops in the Mea Shearim neighborhood in Jerusalem, on April. 2. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI | License Photo
Shelves are fully stocked with food products and toilet paper as grocery stores remain relatively empty in Beijing. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo
Devotees pray at distance at the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem on April. 2. The cases of coronavirus have jumped in Israeli Ultra-Orthodox cities, amid growing concerns of a major outbreak of COVID-19 in the religious communities. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI | License Photo
Shmuel Rabinovitch, the rabbi of the Western Wall, wears a protective mask while praying. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI | License Photo
A man walks in an empty arrivals hall in the Ben Gurion Airport in Lod, Israel, on April 1. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI | License Photo
Pedestrians walk in the streets of Beijing on March 29. China's capital is slowly returning to normal amid a sharp fall in the number of new coronavirus cases and the return of spring weather. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo
Pope Francis, isolated in front of an empty square from the sagrato of St. Peter's Basilica in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City, offers an extraordinary moment of prayer in time of pandemic, the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, on March 27. The "Salus Populi Romani" icon and the crucifix of St. Marcellus, are placed in front of the central door of the basilica. Vatican media broadcast the ceremony live to the world and it could also be followed in several languages on Facebook and YouTube. Photo by Stefano Spaziani/UPI | License Photo
Pope Francis prays on the sagrato of St. Peter's Square to deliver a special Urbi et Orbi Blessing to the world. Photo by Stefano Spaziani/UPI | License Photo
A Palestinian sits outside a shuttered shop on an empty street in Jerusalem's Old City on March 28. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI | License Photo
A shopper wears a protective mask and gloves outside the Old City. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI | License Photo
Member of Japan's Ground Self Defense Force disinfect after assisting passengers from Europe at Narita International Airport in Chiba Prefecture, Japan on March 28. Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Photo
Quarantine officers wearing face masks and face shields check the body temperature of a passenger at a quarantine station at Narita International Airport. Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Photo
The streets of downtown London are near empty on March 27 after Prime Minister Boris Johnson imposed a national lockdown from the rapidly spreading coronavirus pandemic. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced today that he is self-isolating after testing positive for the coronavirus. Photo by Hugo Philpott/UPI | License Photo
A member of Magen David Adom wears protective clothing while working in a coronavirus testing drive-through tent in Jerusalem on March 27. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI | License Photo
The Israeli government has imposed tight restrictions of movement, leaving only essential stores open in an effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI | License Photo
Security forces keep their distance to protect themselves from a potential infection as they check residents for the documents allowing them to be on the streets of Paris near the Eiffel Tower on March 26. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI | License Photo
People in Beijing visit a fashion galleria on March 26. China's capital is slowly returning to normal amid a sharp fall in the number of new coronavirus cases and the return of spring weather. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo
Mohamed abu Daga (L) and his bride Israa wear face masks during a photo shoot at a studio before their wedding ceremony in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza on March 23. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI | License Photo
The National Mall is empty after Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser stopped vehicle access and closed pedestrian access to the cherry blossoms on March 23. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
Volunteers disinfect the interior of a mosque. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI | License Photo
Palestinian children play video games in the southern Gaza Strip on March 22. The United Nations has warned that a COVID-19 outbreak in Gaza could be disastrous, given the high poverty rates and weak health system in the coastal strip under Israeli blockade since 2007. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI | License Photo
A group of students visit a tourist area as the threat of the deadly coronavirus fades in Beijing on March 22, 2020. China has reported no new locally transmitted coronavirus cases for the first time since the pandemic began. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo
Marina Street in Barcelona is scarcely populated on March 21. Photo by Andreu Dalmau/EPA-EFE
A security guard eats at a neighborhood checkpoint as the threat of the coronavirus fades in Beijing on March 21. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo
A delivery driver hauls boxes to a store. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo
A trader puts on his vest on an empty floor at the New York Stock Exchange after the closing bell on Wall Street in New York City on March 20. The New York Stock Exchange will close down the floor and will move temporarily to fully electronic trading on March 23 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
An informational guidebook is held by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence during a Coronavirus Task Force news conference at the White House in Washington, D.C. on March 20. Photo by Al Drago/UPI | License Photo
Palestinian health workers clean the courtyard of a United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees school wearing protective gear to help prevent the spread of coronavirus at Khan Youns refugee camp in southern Gaza on March 18. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI | License Photo
Gaza has not confirmed any infections, but doctors in many cases believe the virus has arrived and fear that a lack of disease surveillance systems -- shortages of tests, basic supplies and properly trained professionals -- is allowing an invisible pandemic to spread. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI | License Photo
A thermographic camera checks arriving passengers' body temperature at a quarantine station at Narita International Airport in Chiba prefecture, Japan on March 16. Japanese government requests that people arriving from China, South Korea, Hong Kong, Macau and Iran wait for two weeks at designated facilities or their home in Japan to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Photo
A man sits in a bus station in central Tel Aviv on March 16. Photo by Abir Sultan/EPA-EFE
A traveler takes photos of a departure board showing canceled flights at Tokyo International Airport on March 15. Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Photo
A shopper grabs a few cans of soup in an aisle of near-empty shelves in a San Francisco store on March 12. Photo by Peter DaSilva/UPI | License Photo
A woman walks by the Broadway venue for Neil Simon's "Plaza Suite" in New York City on March 12. Broadway shows and other large gatherings have been canceled as coronavirus continues to spread in the United States. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
Drive-through COVID-19 testing is performed by appointment at the Kaiser Permanente French Campus in San Francisco on March 12. Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI | License Photo
Travelers stand in line at the Adolfo-Suarez Barajas International Airport in Madrid on March 12, the morning after Trump announced the travel ban on flights from Europe. Photo by Emilio Naranjo/EPA-EFE
Medical personnel wearing protective gear help the family of a patient carry her to a CT scan in the Rassolakram hospital in Tehran on March 11. Photo by Morteza Nikoubazl/UPI | License Photo
Shoppers don masks on Clement Street in San Francisco on March 11. Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI | License Photo
U.S. President Donald Trump delivers a televised prime-time address from the Oval Office on March 11, announcing that travelers from most European countries would not be allowed to enter the United States for 30 days. Pool Photo by Doug Mills/UPI | License Photo
Palestinian municipality workers wearing protective gear disinfect a park to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus in Gaza on March 11. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI | License Photo
Purple ribbons hang outside of the Young Israel of New Rochelle synagogue in New Rochelle, N.Y. on March 10. A 1-mile containment zone around the city in Westchester County was set up in hopes of slowing the spread of the coronavirus. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
Guests have their temperature checked before being allowed to enter an international shopping mall in Beijing on March 10. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo
Chinese President Xi Jinping visits patients via video calls on March 10 at the Huoshenshan Hospital in Wuhan, where the outbreak began. Photo by Ju Peng/EPA-EFE/XINHUA
The cruise ship Grand Princess is seen 15 miles off the California coast as it waits to enter San Francisco Bay on March 9. The ship was being held in quarantine with 21 diagnosed cases of COVID-19 aboard. Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI | License Photo
A notice posted at St.Thomas's Hospital in London on March 9 proclaims a lack of face masks. Photo by Andy Rain/EPA-EFE
A girl wears a protective face mask outside a shop selling hand sanitizer in Beijing on March 8. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo
The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II arcades, Italy's oldest active shopping mall, stands nearly empty in Milan. Italian authorities have taken the drastic measure of putting the whole country on lockdown. Photo by Matteo Corner/EPA-EFE
Shelves are empty in a grocery store on March 5, after panic buying in Beijing. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo
The Seoul subway mascot, Ddota, promotes the use of hand sanitizer in South Korea on March 4. South Korea's efforts to contain the virus offer lessons for other countries. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
A street in Seoul's Namdaemun market, a popular tourist destination, is nearly empty on March 4. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
Health workers in biohazard suits treat patients at a drive-through coronavirus testing center at Seoul Metropolitan Eunpyeong Hospital on March 4. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
A worker sprays disinfectant inside a Vietnam Airlines airplane at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on March 3. Photo by Luong Thai Linh/EPA-EFE
Researchers with the Emerging Infectious Disease branch at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, conduct studies in order to find a solution for the coronavirus, on March 3. Photo by USAMRDC/UPI | License Photo
Pedestrians walk near the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street in New York City on March 3. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
Office workers wearing face masks are seen at the Shinjuku station in Tokyo on March 2. Some companies are granting flexible-time work schedules or work from home to curb the spread of new coronavirus infections. Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Photo
Tokyo Disneyland, closed to curb the spread of the virus, in Urayasu, Chiba-Prefecture, Japan, was empty of tourists on February 29. Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Photo
A hospital worker in a biohazard suit checks his phone at Daegu Medical Center in Daegu, South Korea on February 21. Most of South Korea's cases were traced to a secretive religious organization, where a "super spreader" with the virus came in contact with hundreds. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
Transit workers use a thermal sensor to check a passenger's body temperature at a subway station in Daegu, South Korea on February 21. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
Infectious disease expert Galia Rahavm shows an isolation room as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tours the Chaim Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, Israel, on February 19, preparing to cope with a potential outbreak. Photo by Photo by Heidi Levine/UPI | License Photo
The quarantined cruise ship Diamond Princess is docked at the Daikoku Pier in Yokohama, Kanagawa-Prefecture, Japan on February 19. Hundreds aboard the ship were infected. Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Photo
Public service announcements in the subway advise people to wear protective face masks in Beijing on February 6. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo
A subway carriage is nearly empty during a normally busy rush hour in Beijing on February 6. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo
One of the Beijing's major temple fairs is closed due to the coronavirus outbreak on January 25. All major Chinese New Year events were canceled to help stop the spread of the virus. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo
Pedestrians wear protective respiratory masks in downtown Beijing on January 21. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo
