A major UK study on whether COVID-19 vaccines can be safely mixed has been expanded to include photos taken by Moderna and Novavax, researchers said on Wednesday.
The Com-Cov study, led by Oxford University, was launched in February to compare the effect of administering a first dose of AstraZeneca-Oxford AZN,
AZN,
vaccine, followed a few weeks later by the vaccine jointly developed by the drug company Pfizer PFE,
and biotechnology BioNTech BNTX,
and vice versa.
The extended study will seek to recruit adults over the age of 50 who have received the first vaccination in the last eight to 12 weeks.
These volunteers, who will receive either the vaccine from the drug company AstraZeneca, which was developed in conjunction with the University of Oxford, or the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, will randomly receive either the same vaccine or that from Modern MRNA Biotechnology
0A45,
or that of Novavax NVAX Pharmaceutical,
0A3S,
for the second dose.
Read: Modern, BioNTech stocks are rising after regulators stop using the J&J vaccine
The six new “arms” of the process will each involve 175 people, bringing the total number of participants in the process to 1,050.
Working in eight locations in the UK, researchers will monitor the immune system’s responses, as well as any side effects, such as fever, to these new vaccine combinations. The process is designed as a so-called “non-inferiority” study, which means that its intention is to show that the mixture is not substantially worse than not mixing.
“If we can demonstrate that these mixed programs generate an immune response as good as standard programs and without a significant increase in vaccine reactions, this will potentially allow more people to complete their COVID-19 immunization course faster.” Matthew Snape, an associate professor of pediatrics and vaccinology at Oxford University and chief investigator of the trial, said in a statement.
“This would also create resistance within the system in the event of a deficiency in the availability of any vaccine,” Snape added.
Read: Launch of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine begins in England, offering an alternative to AstraZeneca under 30
The extended study comes after the launch of the Moderna vaccine in England began this week in the UK
The Novavax vaccine has been shown to be 96% effective in preventing cases caused by the original version of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 in a late-stage study in the UK. ,
In the UK, it has not yet been approved and is under ongoing review by the country’s Medicines Regulatory Authority, MHRA.
Read: Novavax CEO will resign, says the biotechnology company
The results of the original Com-Cov study, which used only the AstraZeneca and Pfizer – BioNTech vaccine, are expected in May, while the results of the second phase should appear by June or July, although the study will take time. for a year.
If promising, the MHRA and the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization will formally evaluate the safety and efficacy of any new vaccination regimen before it is released to patients.