Oxford Covid-19 Vaccine Trials Show ‘Strong Immune Responses’ In Adults, Researchers Say

BRITISH PHARMA GIANT AstraZeneca has said that trials of its coronavirus vaccine, initiated by the University of Oxford, have shown “encouraging” responses among the elderly and younger participants.

The potential vaccine, one of 10 worldwide in the most advanced phase III of trials, showed “strong immune responses” in all groups of adults during the previous phase, according to an Oxford update.

An AstraZeneca spokesperson said the initial results “further strengthen the body of evidence for the safety and immunogenicity” of their experimental vaccine.

“It is encouraging to see that immunogenicity responses were similar between older adults and young people, the spokesperson added.

The positive news came in data on the safety and immune responses of participants in the phase II phase of the trial that Oxford submitted for peer review in a medical journal.

They include results for UK volunteers aged 56-69 and over 70, and the formal release of the data is expected “in the next few weeks.”

“Our ongoing trials will provide more data, but this marks a key milestone and assures us that the vaccine is safe to use and induces strong immune responses in both parts of the immune system in all adult groups,” the university said.

Oxford and AstraZeneca have been testing their possible vaccine for months in various countries around the world.

It was suspended worldwide on September 6 after a participant’s illness, but resumed shortly thereafter in Great Britain and in the following weeks in South Africa, Brazil and Japan.

Authorities determined that the disease was apparently unrelated to the vaccine, and the US Food and Drug Administration also authorized the restart in the United States over the weekend.

The AstraZeneca / Oxford vaccine is one of the most promising and advanced in the world to combat the global pandemic, which has now claimed the lives of 1.1 million people.

Many countries count on using it to vaccinate their populations.

The drug maker sold hundreds of millions of doses on several continents and signed partnership agreements with other producers to ensure the doses could be made locally.

UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock further fueled optimism yesterday, noting in an interview that once approved, “most” of the vaccine launch could occur in Britain before next summer.

– © AFP 2020