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Scientists at the University of Oxford plan to publish the results of late-stage trials of the COVID-19 vaccine it is developing with AstraZeneca by the end of December.
Scientists at the University of Oxford expect to publish the results of late-stage trials of their COVID-19 vaccine by Christmas, a key researcher said on Thursday as he discussed the team’s latest findings .
Dr Andrew Pollard, an expert in pediatric infection and immunity at Oxford, said research was slowed by low infection rates over the summer, but Phase 3 trials are now accumulating the data needed to make results as a new wave of pandemic hits countries. around the world. Oxford is developing its vaccine in collaboration with drug maker AstraZeneca.
“I think we’re getting closer, and it will definitely be before Christmas depending on the progress,” Pollard said in an interview with the BBC.
Pollard discussed progress in late stage trials as Oxford published a study based on previous research that found the vaccine to be well tolerated and produce a strong immune response in people over the age of 70. people, Pollard said.
“The reason we’re so thrilled is that we’re seeing the immune responses look exactly the same, even in those over 70,” Pollard said.
The results were based on a so-called Phase 2 trial of 560 people, 240 of whom were over 70 years old. The results of the peer-reviewed study were published Thursday in The Lancet, an international medical journal.
Phase 2 vaccine trials provide important preliminary data but do not prove whether they ultimately prevent people from getting sick. Oxford and AstraZeneca are awaiting the results of Phase 3 trials on thousands of people around the world to show whether their vaccine is safe and effective.
Two other drugmakers, Pfizer and Moderna, this week reported preliminary results from late-stage trials showing their COVID-19 vaccines to be nearly 95% effective.
Pollard said there was no competition between the different research teams as more than one vaccine would be needed to bring the global pandemic under control and allow life to return to normal.
Despite recent progress, Pollard said the world is still in the early stages of the effort to protect people from COVID-19. Even after the vaccines are approved by regulators, drugmakers and public health officials still have to produce billions of doses and administer them to people all over the world, he said.
Pollard, an amateur mountaineer, compared the task to the work involved in climbing a mountain.
“I think we are still at the foot of this mountain in some ways,” he said. “We made the route to the foot of the mountain, the long journey to get to the start. Now we need to get the vaccine data in front of the regulators so that they can review it and approve the first vaccines. And then we have this huge effort to climb to the top where we have a vast majority of those at risk vaccinated.
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