Possible coronavirus vaccine by U.S. drugmaker ready for testing

Drugmaker Moderna has shipped its first batch of a possible coronavirus vaccine for humans to government researchers for testing.

Shares of the biotech company soared early Tuesday, a day after the company said it sent vials to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for early-stage testing in the United States.

More than 80,000 people have been infected globally from the viral outbreak that began late last year in China. A total of 35 cases have been reported in the United States.

More than 2,600 people have died from the virus in mainland China, including one U.S. citizen.

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Shares of Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Moderna Inc. jumped nearly 16%, or $2.92, to $21.51 in premarket trading.

The stock started trading in late 2018 and set an all-time high price of $29.79 last April, according to FactSet.