Coronavirus vaccine update: Oxford vaccine immune response triggers hopes, Covaxin trials to enter Phase 3

Coronavirus vaccine update: The coronavirus vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University has successfully triggered a strong immune response among both young and old. Meanwhile in India, Bharat Biotech and ICMR will be entering Phase III clinical trials of indigenous vaccine, Covaxin.

Sanchari Chatterjee, IT, New Delhi, October 27, 2020: The coronavirus vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University has successfully triggered a strong immune response among both young and old. The announcement by AstraZeneca has triggered hopes across countries ravaged by the Covid-19 pandemic. Meanwhile in India, Bharat Biotech and ICMR will be entering Phase III clinical trials of the indigenous vaccine, Covaxin.

OXFORD VACCINE RAISES HOPES

The AstraZeneca-Oxford coronavirus vaccine, one of the frontrunners in the global vaccine race, has produced an immune response in both young and old. The announcement has raised hopes as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to damage global economies.

The coronavirus vaccine has also triggered lower adverse responses among the elderly, British drug maker AstraZeneca has said.

“It is encouraging to see immunogenicity responses were similar between older and younger adults and that reactogenicity was lower in older adults, where the Covid-19 disease severity is higher,” an AstraZeneca spokesman said.

COVAXIN TO ENTER PHASE III

The third phase of the human trial of the indigenous vaccine against Covid-19, Covaxin, will commence at a private hospital in Bhubaneshwar soon. The search for a suitable vaccine against coronavirus has almost come to the final stage, Dr E Venkata Rao, Principal Investigator in the Covaxin human trial and Professor in the department of Community Medicine at the Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital here said on Sunday.

IMS and SUM Hospital is among the 21 medical institutes selected across the country by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) where the third phase trial would be conducted.

The indigenous vaccine, being developed by ICMR and Bharat Biotech has received the approval of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) for initiating the Phase III trial.

UK HOSPITAL TO PREPARE FOR VACCINE ROLLOUT

A major London hospital trust has been told to be ready to receive the first batches of the coronavirus vaccine being trialed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca by early next month, according to a UK media report on Monday.

‘The Sun’ newspaper claims that the country’s state-funded National Health Service (NHS) is preparing for an initial rollout of the vaccine from the week “commencing November 2”.

PFIZER ENROLLS 42,000 VOLUNTEERS

US drug maker Pfizer, which is developing a coronavirus vaccine with German pharma company BioNTech, has enrolled 42,113 volunteers for Phase II and Phase III clinical trials.

Pfizer has said it could file in late November for US authorization of the coronavirus vaccine it is developing, opening up the possibility of a vaccine being available in the United States by the end of the year.

(With inputs from Reuters, PTI)