The British pharmaceutical group AstraZeneca said it had found the “winning formula” to improve its COVID-19 vaccine developed with Oxford University.
The British laboratory announced in November that its vaccine was on average 70% effective in clinical trials, compared to more than 90% for Pfizer / BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, which have already been authorized for use in several countries.
The results of the intermediate clinical trials showed large differences in data due to two different protocols: efficacy was 90% for volunteers who first received half a dose and then a full dose a month later, but only 62% for another. vaccinated group with two complete doses.
The results were criticized because the injection of half the dose was due to an error and a relatively small group followed this protocol. The company then announced that its vaccine needed “an additional study”.
But Pascal Soriot, chief executive of AstraZeneca, said the company’s vaccine offers “100% protection” against severe forms of Covid-19, telling the Sunday Times: “We think we’ve discovered the winning formula and how to achieve the effectiveness that, after two doses , is up there with everyone else. “
He added: “I can’t tell you more because we will publish at some point.”
The Oxford University / AstraZeneca vaccine is eagerly awaited in the UK as it is relatively inexpensive and can be stored in conventional freezers, unlike the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine which needs to be stored at -70 degrees.
This makes it easier to vaccinate on a large scale, as well as in nursing homes.
The UK, the first Western country to authorize the distribution of the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine in early December, is relying on this second vaccine to gain momentum and stop growth in cases attributed to a new variant of coronavirus on its soil.
“For now, we believe the vaccine should remain effective” against the new variant, Soriot said. “But we can’t be sure, so we’ll test it.”
He assured that new versions are ready for any eventuality, hoping at the same time not to need them: “You have to be prepared”.
The UK government announced on Wednesday that it had submitted complete data on the Oxford University / AstraZeneca vaccine to the UK regulatory authority, the Medicines and Medicines Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
According to the British press, the MHRA is going to make a decision in the next few days in order to inject the vaccine starting with January 4th.
The UK has ordered 100 million doses of Oxford University / AstraZeneca vaccine, of which 40 million doses will be available by the end of March.
In total, the British government provided access to more than 350 million doses by the end of next year, with supplies from seven manufacturers during the clinical trial phase.
In total, over 600,000 people have already received a first dose of Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine.
The success of the current campaign in the UK is all the more crucial as the country, one of the most affected by the pandemic, with over 70,000 deaths, finds a recurrence of the virus.
Authorities attributed the recurrence to a mutation that, according to a British study, is 50% to 74% more contagious and has led to more than 40 countries closing their borders for travel in the UK.