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Positive trial data for Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine

Shares in the pharma group climbed on the encouraging news
July 20, 2020

A Covid-19 vaccine being developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca (AZN) has achieved positive results in early-stage trials. The potential inoculation was shown to produce a strong immune response, with no indication of safety concerns.

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Data from the phase one/phase two trial – which have been published in the scientific journal The Lancet – reveal that both sides of the immune system responded to the vaccine. Indeed, it gave rise to a ‘T-cell’ response – pertaining to white blood cells that attack infected cells – within two weeks of vaccination. It also induced an antibody response – pertaining to proteins in the blood which develop in response to infection, and which can neutralise pathogens – within 28 days.

The trial results – which centred on just over 1,000 healthy adult participants – suggest that the vaccine did not induce any unexpected reactions, with side-effects tending to include the likes of site pain, tenderness, fatigue and feverishness. No serious adverse problems were reported. The strongest immune response was seen in participants who received two doses.

The coronavirus crisis has accelerated vaccine trials across the globe. Work which could normally take years has been condensed into weeks and months. It follows that late-stage phase two/three trials are already taking place in the UK, Brazil and South Africa, and are due to start soon in the US. These studies should allow scientists to gauge if and how the vaccine will protect people from the disease caused by the virus, and how the immune system – and safety responses – vary, if at all, among different demographics.

AstraZeneca has agreed to help produce and scale up the vaccine, should it prove successful in later trials. It plans to supply more than 2bn doses of the vaccine to various organisations around the world. The group has said that it aims to provide access to the vaccine at no profit during the pandemic.

Follows other positive trial news

At the last count, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Oxford and AstraZeneca’s vaccine is one of 23 to have entered human trials. And theirs is not alone in delivering encouraging results. US biotech group Moderna (MRNA) announced in mid-July that its own early-stage trial – using its proprietary messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine technology – elicited “rapid and strong” immune responses. Pharma giant Pfizer (US:PFE) and BioNTech have also seen early positive data from their ongoing vaccine study.

Meanwhile, Astra’s British peer GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) revealed on 20 July that it was working together with German company CureVac on mRNA vaccines and antibody research programmes for infectious diseases. This will entail GSK making a £130m equity investment in CureVac, with an upfront payment of £104m.