The Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine generated a lasting immune response to the deadly bug in an early-stage clinical trial, the pharmaceutical giant said.
More than 90 percent of the 805 study participants had neutralizing antibodies that provide protection against COVID-19 29 days after receiving a single dose of the vaccine, the New Jersey drug maker said Wednesday.
Antibodies remained at least 71 days in participants between the ages of 18 and 55, according to interim results published in the New England Journal of Medicine. J&J said it would have data later this month on the durability of immunity in people over the age of 65.
Early data showed promising signs for Johnson & Johnson’s one-shot vaccine, even though the company had hit an obstacle in producing vaccines.
J&J said it expects to announce the results of its key study with a late-stage vaccine later this month. It will then ask the Food and Drug Administration to eliminate the fire for emergency use if the data show that it is safe and effective.
Early safety data showed that people who had reactions to the vaccine generally improved within 24 hours, the company said. The most common side effects were headache, muscle aches, fatigue and pain at the injection site.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is different from the Pfizer and Moderna photos distributed across the country.
The companies’ vaccines require two doses and use genetic material called messenger RNA to direct the body to create a small amount of coronavirus protein, which triggers an immune response. Johnson & Johnson’s requires a single dose and provides spike proteins through a common cold virus that cannot infect the recipient.
J&J also studied a two-dose regimen of its vaccine and found that the second dose, given at a distance of 56 days, “triggered a doubling of antibodies against COVID-19”. said the company.
Johnson & Johnson shares rose 1.7 percent Thursday in premarket trading to $ 160.68 starting at 7:42 p.m.