COVID-19: AstraZeneca vaccine shows exciting results without any serious side effects
By Web Deskupdated : 5 months ago
LONDON: 24, NOVEMBER, 2020: The COVID-19 vaccine developed by the Oxford University could be around 90pc effective without any serious side effects, AstraZeneca, the latest drugmaker to unveil positive interim data in a scientific race to control a pandemic said on Monday.
As per data from the late-stage trials in Britian and Brazil, the vaccine was 90 percent effective in preventing COVID-19 when it was administered as a half dose followed by a full dose at least one month apart.
British drugs group AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford say their jointly-developed vaccine against COVID-19 has shown "an average efficacy of 70 percent" in trials.
"This vaccine's efficacy and safety confirm that it will be highly effective against COVID-19 and will have an immediate impact on this public health emergency," Pascal Soriot, Astra’s chief executive, said in a statement.
The UK drugmaker's initial trial results show a fresh breakthrough in the battle against a global pandemic.
British PM Boris Johnson said it was "incredibly exciting news the Oxford vaccine has proved so effective in trials."
The interim analysis was based on 131 infections among participants who received the vaccine and those in a control group who were given an established meningitis shot. The results ranged between 62 and 90-percent efficacy, depending on the vaccine dosage.
The 70-percent average is lower compared with the efficacy of coronavirus vaccines trialled by rivals Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna which have come in above 90 percent.
The statement said "Positive high-level results from an interim analysis of clinical trials of AZD1222 in the UK and Brazil showed the vaccine was highly effective in preventing COVID-19… and no hospitalisations or severe cases of the disease were reported in participants."
The data showing a range of efficacy between 60 percent and 90 percent comes after US rivals published interim data in recent weeks showing efficacy of more than 90 percent.
While the efficacy reading from Astra’s viral vector vaccine is lower than its US rivals, the data will boost confidence about the chances of successfully developing a variety of vaccines using different approaches.
A week earlier, Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech said their vaccine candidate had demonstrated greater than 90 percent efficacy that rose to 95 percent with analysis of full trial data.
The AstraZeneca vaccine uses a modified version of a chimpanzee common cold virus to deliver instructions to cells to fight the target virus, which is different than the new technology known as messenger RNA (mRNA) deployed by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna.
The company — one of the UK’s most valuable listed companies — will now immediately prepare regulatory submission of the data to authorities around the world that have a framework in place for conditional or early approval.
Earlier, November 14, the World Health Organization said it is important to rely on vaccines needed to prevent infectious diseases. During an interview with AFP, a top WHO expert warned that public distrust risked rendering even the most effective treatments useless against the pandemic.
Kate O'Brien, director of the World Health Organization's immunisation department, said "A vaccine that sits in a freezer or in a refrigerator or on a shelf and doesn't get used is doing nothing to help shorten this pandemic."
O'Brien described the preliminary results of the corona vaccine as "extremely important."
She said she hopes to see results from other corona vaccines being tested soon. If the complete data show that "one or more of these vaccines has very, very substantial efficacy, that is really good news for putting another tool in the toolbox" for fighting the pandemic, she added.
"We are not going to be successful as a world in controlling the pandemic with the use of vaccines as one of the tools unless people are willing to get vaccinated," O'Brien said.
The World Health Organization will not compromise on the safety and efficacy of corona vaccines."Our goal is to have 20% of every country's population immunized by the end of 2021," said the director of the WHO Vaccination Department.
Corona vaccine is being tested in various countries, including the United States, Russia, China and the United Kingdom.
Earlier, COVID-19 vaccine data which is being developed by a team from Oxford University in collaboration with pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca likely available within weeks.
The news comes after US drugs company Pfizer announced that trials of its own COVID-19 vaccine, developed in partnership with Germany’s BioNTech, had returned an almost 90 pc success rate, clearing the way for licensing and distribution.
Experts said Pfizer's announcement about the success against the deadly virus had raised hopes that dozens of other potential vaccines currently being trialled could soon return similar positive results.
Leader of the Oxford vaccine team, Sir John Bell told the BBC that "Data from our first interim analysis is also likely to be available in the very near future, and by that I mean weeks not months."
Leader of another advanced COVID-19 vaccine, developed by a team at Imperial College London, Prof. Robin Shattock said that "Assuming it’s supported by the data, then this not only represents a potential breakthrough for Pfizer/BioNTech, but also for vaccines in general."
"Hopefully this is the first of many vaccine candidates to be seen to work. A significant light at the end of the tunnel," Robin added.
England's deputy chief medical officer, Prof. Jonathan Van-Tam said "This is a huge milestone. More importantly, it is good news for many of the vaccines to come."
Despite the implementation of strict restrictions, the countries all over the world are facing continuous spike in COVID-19 related cases and deaths.
COVID-19: AstraZeneca vaccine shows exciting results without any serious side effects
By Web Deskupdated : 5 months ago
LONDON: 24, NOVEMBER, 2020: The COVID-19 vaccine developed by the Oxford University could be around 90pc effective without any serious side effects, AstraZeneca, the latest drugmaker to unveil positive interim data in a scientific race to control a pandemic said on Monday.
As per data from the late-stage trials in Britian and Brazil, the vaccine was 90 percent effective in preventing COVID-19 when it was administered as a half dose followed by a full dose at least one month apart.
British drugs group AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford say their jointly-developed vaccine against COVID-19 has shown "an average efficacy of 70 percent" in trials.
"This vaccine's efficacy and safety confirm that it will be highly effective against COVID-19 and will have an immediate impact on this public health emergency," Pascal Soriot, Astra’s chief executive, said in a statement.
The UK drugmaker's initial trial results show a fresh breakthrough in the battle against a global pandemic.
British PM Boris Johnson said it was "incredibly exciting news the Oxford vaccine has proved so effective in trials."
The interim analysis was based on 131 infections among participants who received the vaccine and those in a control group who were given an established meningitis shot. The results ranged between 62 and 90-percent efficacy, depending on the vaccine dosage.
The 70-percent average is lower compared with the efficacy of coronavirus vaccines trialled by rivals Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna which have come in above 90 percent.
The statement said "Positive high-level results from an interim analysis of clinical trials of AZD1222 in the UK and Brazil showed the vaccine was highly effective in preventing COVID-19… and no hospitalisations or severe cases of the disease were reported in participants."
The data showing a range of efficacy between 60 percent and 90 percent comes after US rivals published interim data in recent weeks showing efficacy of more than 90 percent.
While the efficacy reading from Astra’s viral vector vaccine is lower than its US rivals, the data will boost confidence about the chances of successfully developing a variety of vaccines using different approaches.
A week earlier, Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech said their vaccine candidate had demonstrated greater than 90 percent efficacy that rose to 95 percent with analysis of full trial data.
The AstraZeneca vaccine uses a modified version of a chimpanzee common cold virus to deliver instructions to cells to fight the target virus, which is different than the new technology known as messenger RNA (mRNA) deployed by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna.
The company — one of the UK’s most valuable listed companies — will now immediately prepare regulatory submission of the data to authorities around the world that have a framework in place for conditional or early approval.
Earlier, November 14, the World Health Organization said it is important to rely on vaccines needed to prevent infectious diseases. During an interview with AFP, a top WHO expert warned that public distrust risked rendering even the most effective treatments useless against the pandemic.
Kate O'Brien, director of the World Health Organization's immunisation department, said "A vaccine that sits in a freezer or in a refrigerator or on a shelf and doesn't get used is doing nothing to help shorten this pandemic."
O'Brien described the preliminary results of the corona vaccine as "extremely important."
She said she hopes to see results from other corona vaccines being tested soon. If the complete data show that "one or more of these vaccines has very, very substantial efficacy, that is really good news for putting another tool in the toolbox" for fighting the pandemic, she added.
"We are not going to be successful as a world in controlling the pandemic with the use of vaccines as one of the tools unless people are willing to get vaccinated," O'Brien said.
The World Health Organization will not compromise on the safety and efficacy of corona vaccines."Our goal is to have 20% of every country's population immunized by the end of 2021," said the director of the WHO Vaccination Department.
Corona vaccine is being tested in various countries, including the United States, Russia, China and the United Kingdom.
Earlier, COVID-19 vaccine data which is being developed by a team from Oxford University in collaboration with pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca likely available within weeks.
The news comes after US drugs company Pfizer announced that trials of its own COVID-19 vaccine, developed in partnership with Germany’s BioNTech, had returned an almost 90 pc success rate, clearing the way for licensing and distribution.
Experts said Pfizer's announcement about the success against the deadly virus had raised hopes that dozens of other potential vaccines currently being trialled could soon return similar positive results.
Leader of the Oxford vaccine team, Sir John Bell told the BBC that "Data from our first interim analysis is also likely to be available in the very near future, and by that I mean weeks not months."
Leader of another advanced COVID-19 vaccine, developed by a team at Imperial College London, Prof. Robin Shattock said that "Assuming it’s supported by the data, then this not only represents a potential breakthrough for Pfizer/BioNTech, but also for vaccines in general."
"Hopefully this is the first of many vaccine candidates to be seen to work. A significant light at the end of the tunnel," Robin added.
England's deputy chief medical officer, Prof. Jonathan Van-Tam said "This is a huge milestone. More importantly, it is good news for many of the vaccines to come."
Despite the implementation of strict restrictions, the countries all over the world are facing continuous spike in COVID-19 related cases and deaths.
