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- Johnson & Johnson said Monday that it had stopped its late-stage coronavirus vaccine trial after a participant had an unexplained illness.
- The pause first reported by Stat News, came just weeks after the pharmaceutical giant launched the massive study to assess whether the injection can prevent COVID-19.
- In a statement Monday, J&J provided little additional information. “We are also learning more about the disease from this participant, and it is important to have all the facts before sharing additional information.”
- For more stories, visit www.BusinessInsider.co.za
Johnson & Johnson said Monday that it had temporarily halted its coronavirus vaccine trials after a participant experienced an unexplained illness, the second major setback to achieve a late-stage proof of a coronavirus immunization.
The pharmaceutical giant said it stopped all additional doses in the trials after one participant fell ill. The pause in the trial, which aims to enroll 60,000 people to determine whether the vaccine is safe and effective, was first reported by Matthew Herper of Stat News.
J&J said the participant’s illness is being reviewed by an independent board, as well as company doctors. The company did not share further information on the nature of the disease, citing patient privacy.
“We must respect the privacy of this participant,” J&J said in a statement. “We are also learning more about the disease from this participant, and it is important to have all the facts before sharing additional information.”
A coronavirus vaccine trial from British drugmaker AstraZeneca faces a similar setback. In September, AstraZeneca stopped the trial after a participant had a possible adverse reaction. The UK arm of the trial has been resumed, although the US portion of the trial is still on hiatus and the US Food and Drug Administration is investigating further.
Other late-stage vaccine trials from Pfizer and Moderna are underway and could produce results this year.
J&J, the world’s largest healthcare company, began its last-stage trial in September to determine if the vaccine can prevent COVID-19. The trial is also designed to provide information on whether the vaccine is safe to administer to millions of people.
The trial was initially expected to yield initial results by the end of 2020. Depending on how long it is on hiatus, the findings could be delayed. J&J did not provide any information on the length of the hiatus.
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