New Delhi (NVI): Oxford University’s coronavirus vaccine candidate, AZD1222, has shown 70 percent efficacy on average, according to the newly published data of phase 3 clinical trials held in the United Kingdom and Brazil.
In effect, the results mean that of all the people who get vaccinated, about 70 per cent will not be infected by the disease.
Today marks an important milestone in the fight against #COVID19. Interim data show the #OxfordVaccine is 70.4% effective, & tests on two dose regimens show that it could be 90%, moving us one step closer to supplying it at low cost around the world>> https://t.co/fnHnKSqftT pic.twitter.com/2KYXPxFNz1
— University of Oxford (@UniofOxford) November 23, 2020
“Positive high-level results from an interim analysis of clinical trials of AZD1222 in the UK and Brazil showed the vaccine was highly effective in preventing Covid-19, the primary endpoint, and no hospitalisations or severe cases of the disease were reported in participants receiving the vaccine,” said AstraZeneca in a statement issued today.
There were a total of 131 COVID-19 cases in the interim analysis.
Furthermore, researchers had tried two different dosing regimens, of which one showed a better profile — close to 90 per cent efficacy.
“One dosing regimen (n=2,741) showed vaccine efficacy of 90% when AZD1222 was given as a half dose, followed by a full dose at least one month apart, and another dosing regimen (n=8,895) showed 62% efficacy when given as two full doses at least one month apart. The combined analysis from both dosing regimens (n=11,636) resulted in an average efficacy of 70%,” the statement read.
An independent Data Safety Monitoring Board determined that the analysis met its primary endpoint showing protection from COVID-19 occurring 14 days or more after receiving two doses of the vaccine.
Meanwhile, no serious safety events related to the vaccine have been confirmed. AZD1222 was well tolerated across both dosing regimens, the statement added.
“These findings show that we have an effective vaccine that will save many lives. Excitingly, we’ve found that one of our dosing regimens may be around 90% effective and if this dosing regime is used, more people could be vaccinated with planned vaccine supply,” said Andrew Pollard, chief investigator, Oxford vaccine trial at Oxford University.
However, since the results are based on an interim data analysis, the company has said it will be conducting additional analysis based on further data that gets generated over time, to refine efficacy reading and establish the duration of protection.
Clinical trials are also being conducted in the US, Japan, Russia, South Africa, Kenya and Latin America with planned trials in other European and Asian countries. In total, the Company expects to enrol up to 60,000 participants globally.
AstraZeneca is now preparing regulatory submissions of the data to authorities around the world that have a framework in place for conditional or early approval.
-CHK
