AstraZeneca says it has 'winning formula' for vaccine ahead of UK decision
AstraZeneca says it has 'winning formula' for vaccine ahead of UK decision
British pharmaceutical group AstraZeneca said it had found "the winning formula" for its Covid-19 vaccine developed with Oxford University, which the UK regulator is due to rule on in the coming days.
"We think we have found the winning formula and how to achieve efficacy, which, with two doses, is high like that of others," chief executive Pascal Soriot told the Sunday Times,assuring that his vaccine provided "100 percent protection" against severe forms of Covid-19.
Contrasting efficiency
In the interim results of large-scale clinical trials in the United Kingdom and Brazil, the British laboratory announced in November that its vaccine was on average 70% effective compared to more than 90% for Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna.
Behind this result on average are large differences between two different protocols: the effectiveness is 90% for volunteers who first received half a dose, then a full dose a month later, but only 62% for another group vaccinated with two complete doses.
A vaccine simpler than Pfizer
These results were criticized because the injection of half a dose was due to an error and a relatively small group followed this protocol. The company said at the time that its vaccine required "additional study."
The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is highly anticipated because it is relatively inexpensive and does not need to be kept at a temperature as cold as Pfizer/BioNTech, for example, kept at -70 degrees. This makes it easier to vaccinate on a large scale as well as in nursing homes.
Vaccinate more with several different vaccines
The first Western country to start injecting Pfizer/BioNTech doses in early December, the UK is counting on this second vaccine to ramp up and stop the surge in cases attributed on its soil to a new variant of coronavirus.
Against this mutation, "we believe for the moment that the vaccine should remain effective," said Pascal Soriot. "But we can't be sure so we're going to test it out." He assured that new versions were being prepared in case, while hoping not to need them: "You have to be prepared."
The UK government announced on Wednesday that it had submitted the full data for the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine to the UK regulator, MHRA. According to the British press, the latter is due to vote in the next few days for injection from 4 January.
Source:- Flash News and News Agencies