Moderna in Cambridge, MA is pictured on Feb. 28, 2020.
David L. Ryan | The Boston Globe via Getty Images
A member of Moderna’s board of directors resigned to avoid any “potential or even apparent conflict of interest” during the company’s phase three trial for its potential coronavirus vaccine, the company announced Thursday.
Dr. Elizabeth “Betsy” Nabel is leaving effective immediately after sitting on the company’s board of director for five years, Moderna said in a statement. Nabel is president of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, which is one of 89 clinical trial sites participating in the phase three trial of Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine candidate.
“In the context of the start of the 30,000 participant Phase 3 trial for Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate, and Brigham and Women’s Hospital’s final preparation as a site for enrolling up to 300-500 trial participants, we have accepted Betsy’s resignation out of an abundance of caution to avoid any potential or even apparent conflict of interest on her part or Moderna’s part,” the company said in a statement.
Moderna began its late-stage human trials on Monday.
This is a developing story. Please check back later for updates.