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AstraZeneca said Monday that its vaccine for the new coronavirus could be about 90% effective without serious side effects, the latest drug maker to reveal interim positive data in a scientific race to curb a global pandemic.
The vaccine developed by the University of Oxford was 90% effective in preventing COVID-19 when administered as a half dose followed by a full dose at least one month apart, according to data from late-stage trials in Great Britain and Brazil.
Another dosage regimen showed an efficacy of 62% when administered as two full doses separated by at least one month, and the combined analysis of both dosage regimens resulted in a mean efficacy of 70%.
Here are some reactions to the news:
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson
“Incredibly exciting news that the Oxford vaccine has been shown to be so effective in trials,” Johnson said on Twitter. “There are still more security checks ahead, but these are fantastic results.”
British Health Secretary Matt Hancock
“We hope we can start vaccinating next month,” Hancock told BBC TV.
“Most of the vaccine launch program will take place in January, February and March. And we hope that sometime after Easter things can go back to normal. “
He previously told Sky News: “We have 100 million doses on order and if all goes well, most of the launch will be in the new year.”
Hancock also said there was evidence in the report that the vaccine could reduce the transmission of the disease.
“Now, of course, that would be very good news if confirmed, because obviously what we want to do is not only prevent people from contracting the disease, but also stop its transmission,” he said.
Professor Andrew Pollard, Director of the Oxford Vaccine Group and Chief Investigator of the Oxford Vaccine Trial
“These findings show that we have an effective vaccine that will save many lives. Interestingly, we have found that one of our dosing regimens can be around 90% effective and if this dosing regimen is used, more people could be vaccinated with the planned vaccine supply.
“We also have a vaccine that will be easy to distribute if stored at refrigerator temperature, and we can take it to all corners of the world. It has already been manufactured at 10 different sites around the world to ensure that happens. “
Pascal Soriot, CEO of Astrazeneca
“The efficacy and safety of this vaccine confirm that it will be highly effective against COVID-19 and will have an immediate impact on this public health emergency. Additionally, the vaccine’s simple supply chain and our non-profit promise and commitment to broad, equitable and timely access means that it will be affordable and available globally with the supply of hundreds of millions of approved doses. “
Peter Horby, Professor of Emerging Infectious Diseases and Global Health, University of Oxford:
“The reported efficiency of 70% is a stopgap measure and as more data accumulates, we will have a better idea of the protection it offers. Importantly, from what we’ve heard, the vaccine appears to prevent infection, not just disease. This is important as the vaccine could reduce the spread of the virus and protect the vulnerable from serious illness.
Oxford vaccine can be stored in the refrigerator, as opposed to the freezer like the other two vaccines, which means it is a more practical solution for use around the world. “
Michael Head, Senior Researcher in Global Health, University of Southampton
“These results are intriguing, with two different estimates of efficacy depending on the dose used with the vaccine.
“These are interim results that have not been peer-reviewed and the study is ongoing, so as with the other recent announcements from Pfizer and Moderna, we should be a little cautious with these findings. It is still not entirely clear why a half dose and then a full dose were potentially more protective, but if the final results continue to show this pattern of around 90% effectiveness, this would allow for a greater supply of vaccines not only in the Kingdom. United but also globally. “
Danny Altmann, Professor of Immunology, Imperial College, London
“I think it’s really silly to start trying to distinguish these three (Pfizer / Moderna / Astra) on the basis of data fragments from phase 3 of the press releases. For the bigger picture, my suspicion is that by the time we are a year later, we will use all three vaccines with about 90% protection, and we will be much happier. “Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge, Michael Holden, Kate Kelland, Sarah Young and Kate Holton; Edited by Raju Gopalakrishnan
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