A coronavirus vaccine in development by the University of Oxford and British drugmaker AstraZeneca Plc showed promising results in early human testing and is now set to move into larger trials. The data was released on Monday, raising hopes that the world could soon find a way to stop the virus that has taken an unprecedented human and economic toll across the planet.
The data was published in leading medical journal The Lancet based on the study done on 1,077 health adults. The AZD1222 vaccine did not develop any serious side effects in them.
The Outcome
A single dose led to antibodies by Day 28 and there was a marked increase in Sars-CoV-2 spike-specific T-cell response as early as day 7, peaking at day 14 and maintained upto day 56.
The vaccine caused minor side effects, which could be reduced by taking paracetamol.
What This Means
The fact that the vaccine also triggered a T-cell response is an encouraging sign. A T-cell response means the vaccine was able to stimulate the part of the immunity that ‘learns’.
“We hope this means the immune system will remember the virus, so thatg pour vaccine will protect people for an extended period,” said Andrew Pollard, University of Oxford professor.
AstraZeneca has late-stage trials underway in the UK, Brazil and South Africa and aims to start studies in the United States, where the coronavirus prevalence is higher. Results can be accrued much more quickly in regions with high rates of active infection.
AstraZeneca Chief Executive Pascal Soriot said the company hopes the vaccine will be available this year depending on how quickly late-stage trials can be completed.
A coronavirus vaccine under development by CanSino Biologics Inc and China’s military research unit, likewise showed that it appears to be safe and induced an immune response in most of the 508 healthy volunteers who got one dose of the vaccine, researchers reported.
Both the AstraZeneca and CanSino vaccines use a harmless cold virus known as an adenovirus to carry genetic material from the novel coronavirus into the body.
