A Covid-19 vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca Plc prevented a majority of people from getting the disease in a large trial, another promising development in the quest to end the pandemic.
The vaccine stopped an average of 70% of participants from falling ill, an early analysis of the data show. That’s below the high bar set by Pfizer Inc. and Moderna Inc., but effectiveness rose to 90% for one of two dosing regimes, using half a dose followed by a full one later.
The Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine candidate’s late-stage trial results are “intriguing” and more work needs to be done on the finding that an initial half dose of the shot offers more protection, Oxford’s vaccine chief said on Monday.
Phase III trial results of the vaccine candidate found it was 90% effective if administered at a half dose and then at a full dose, or 62% effective if administered in two full doses.
“These findings show that we have an effective vaccine that will save many lives,” Andrew Pollard, chief investigator of the Oxford Vaccine Trial, said in a statement.
“We are excited to see 90% efficacy from the half dose-full dose regimen,” an Astra spokesman said. “We see a lot of merit in this regimen and we will now start discussions with regulators into incorporating this dose combination for further clinical investigation.”
The Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest manufacturer of vaccines by volume, has partnered with AstraZeneca, the Gates Foundation and the Gavi vaccine alliance to produce more than a billion doses of a COVID-19 vaccine for global supply.
The British drugmaker’s preliminary trial results mark a fresh breakthrough in the fight against a pandemic that has killed nearly 1.4 million people and roiled the global economy.
British Prime minister Boris Johnson said it was “incredibly exciting news the Oxford vaccine has proved so effective in trials.”
AstraZeneca shares fell 1.1% in early morning trade, defying expectations for a bounce and underperforming the wider market with the FTSE 100 index rising 0.5% at the open.
