AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate Shows Promise

AstraZeneca’s vaccine candidate for COVID-19, AZD1222, has demonstrated positive high-level results from an interim analysis of clinical trials taking place in both the United Kingdom and Brazil. A total of 131 COVID-19 cases were reported in the interim analysis, none of which were severe cases or resulted in hospitalization. 

AZD1222 was given at 2 different dosing regimens, both of which demonstrated efficacy. When the vaccine was given at a half dose and then a full dose 1 month later, the vaccine’s efficacy was 90%. When administered as 2 full doses 1 month apart, the efficacy was 62%. The average efficacy, when combing the results from both dosing regimens, was 70%. The vaccine met its primary endpoint of demonstrating protection from COVID-19 at 14 days or longer after receiving 2 doses of the vaccine.

At this time, no serious adverse safety events related to the vaccine have been reported. 

AstraZeneca will be submitting the data to seek Emergency Use Listing from the World Health Organization (WHO) to obtain an accelerated pathway to provide the vaccine to low-income countries. 

“This vaccine’s efficacy and safety confirm that it will be highly effective against COVID-19 and will have an immediate impact on this public health emergency,” Pascal Soriat, who is the chief executive officer at AstraZeneca, said in a press release. “Furthermore, the vaccine’s simple supply chain and our no-profit pledge and commitment to broad, equitable and timely access means it will be affordable and globally available, supplying hundreds of millions of doses on approval.” 

Data was collected from the COV002 phase 2/3 trial conducted in the United Kingdom and the COC003 phase 3 trial in Brazil. More than 23,000 adults aged 18 years or older are participating in these studies. Additional clinical trials are taking place in the United States, Japan, Russia, South Africa, Kenya, and Latin America. In total, AstraZeneca plans to enroll up to 60,000 participants globally. 

Pending approval, AstraZeneca aims to produce 200 million doses of the vaccine by the end of 2020 and up to 3 billion doses in 2021. AZD1222 is stored, transported, and handled at refrigeration temperatures (2°C to 8°C) for at least 6 months.   

—Audrey Amos, PharmD

Reference:

AZD1222 vaccine met primary efficacy endpoint in preventing COVID-19. News release. AstraZeneca. Published November 23, 2020. Accessed November 23, 2020. https://www.astrazeneca.com/media-centre/press-releases/2020/azd1222hlr.html