AstraZeneca kicks off final trials of Covid vaccine in US

WASHINGTON: AstraZeneca has begun large-scale final human trial of its coronavirus vaccine in the US, the company said in a statement on Monday, with plans to enroll as many as 30,000 adults to test the shot. The AstraZeneca shot, invented by researchers at the University of Oxford, is one of the farthest along of numerous Covid vaccines in development. In addition to the US trial, a final-stage test of the inoculation is underway in the UK and could yield preliminary results as soon as next month. Other companies that have vaccines in phase 3 trials include Moderna and Pfizer.
Trial participants will receive either two doses of the experimental vaccine, dubbed AZD1222, four weeks apart, or a placebo, the firm said.
President Trump suggested the possibility of a fasttrack approval in the country. “I am pleased to announce that AstraZeneca vaccine has reached phase three clinical trials. That’s joining another group of vaccines that are very close to the end, and hopefully, approval,” he said on Monday. Trump has earlier said a vaccine could be available before the November election, much sooner than most experts anticipate.
In a separate statement, AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot nodded at concerns that review of a vaccine could face political pressure. “...I want to reiterate my commitment that we are putting science and the interest of society at the heart of our work. We are moving quickly but without cutting corners.”
Meanwhile, AstraZeneca has expanded its deal with firm Oxford Biomedica to mass-produce the vaccine. The UK drugmaker has targeted 3 billion doses, globally.