The promising coronavirus vaccine developed by Cambridge-based company Moderna was cleared by the FDA for a phase 2 study, a step that will push the much needed vaccine forward, Boston Herald reports.

Moderna Therapeutics, a Cambridge, Mass.-based biotech company co-founded by Armenian entrepreneur Noubar Afeyan, shipped the first batches of its Covid-19 vaccine in February.

“The imminent Phase 2 study start is a crucial step forward as we continue to advance the clinical development of mRNA-1273, our vaccine candidate against SARS-CoV-2,” said Stephane Bancel, Moderna’s chief executive officer in a press release issued by the company on Thursday.

Moderna has a goal of starting a pivotal phase 3 study in the summer and could have its first biologics license application approved as soon as next year, Bancel’s statement said.

“We are accelerating manufacturing scale-up and our partnership with Lonza puts us in a position to make and distribute as many vaccine doses of mRNA-1273 as possible, should it prove to be safe and effective,” said Bancel.