AstraZeneca and Oxford University announced a 3rd working COVID-19 vaccine, which they say is 70% effective
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- The University of Oxford and AstraZeneca released positive results for their COVID-19 vaccine on Monday.
- In a statement, they said the vaccine is 70% effective on average.
- It follows results being released for two other vaccines — developed by Pfizer and Moderna — which are 95% effective.
- The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is cheaper to produce and easier to transport than the earlier two.
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The COVID-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and The University of Oxford is 70% effective, according to large-scale trial results announced on Monday.
Researchers said the trial of more than 20,000 volunteers showed the vaccine stopped people from developing symptoms about 70% of the time on average.
The news follows recent announcements that the vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna were 95% effective.
According to the BBC, although less effective overall, the Oxford/AstraZeneca shot is cheaper to produce and easier to store than the other two.
Like the other vaccines, the latest candidate is injected in two doses a few weeks apart.
The trial found the effectiveness of the vaccine to vary depending on dose. Researchers said the vaccine was 90% effective when administered as a half dose, followed by a full dose, while the vaccine was 62% effective when administered as two full doses. Thus, the average effectiveness was 70%.
It is not clear why the dosing regimens had different rates of effectiveness.
The vaccine technology was developed by Oxford University, and its spin-out company Vaccitech. AstraZeneca signed a deal with the university in April 2020 to further develop, mass-produce, and potentially distribute the vaccine.
The vaccine candidate had a setback in September when trials were put on hold, following an "unexplained illness", reported in one of the UK trial participant.
The trials re-started when regulators in the US, UK, Brazil, South Africa and Japan confirmed that it was safe to do so.
Since, its results have been promising, with results from Phase 2 trials published in the Lancet in November suggesting the vaccine produced an immune response and was safe across all generations.
The next step is to submit to regulators across the world.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA), the regulatory body for Europe, has already started evaluating the vaccine's lab data in a "rolling review" process meant to help the agency move faster.
This is a breaking news story, check back for updates.
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