The University of Oxford and AstraZeneca have temporarily suspended clinical trials of the Covid-19 vaccine after a “potentially unexplained illness” was detected in one of the volunteers. AstraZeneca said that such a suspension is a regular measure in case someone participating in the trials becomes ill.
Dozens of research centers around the world are trying to develop a vaccine against the coronavirus. So far, the most promising is a vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca, which has successfully completed two out of three clinical trials. The third stage involves about 50 thousand people from the United Kingdom, the United States, Brazil, and South Africa.
In the third stage of testing, scientists need thousands of volunteers, and this process can take several years. Stat news agency, which reported the temporary suspension of the vaccine trials, writes that it is currently unclear what exactly happened to the volunteer, but according to the available information, he should recover soon.
Analysis. Fergus Walsh, BBC medical correspondent. We explain quickly, simply, and understandably what happened, why it matters, and what will happen next. Episodes End of story: Podcast Advertising. At first glance, what has happened may seem alarming. Clinical trials of the vaccine – and not just any vaccine, but the one the whole world is waiting for – have been suspended due to an adverse reaction by a trial participant. However, this happens in the testing of many new drugs.
Oxford researchers say this is common practice. Every time a volunteer unexpectedly ends up in the hospital and the cause of their deterioration is not immediately apparent, trials of a new vaccine or drug are suspended. The University of Oxford and AstraZeneca have already faced a similar problem – after only starting to vaccinate volunteers in April. The university representative explained that in large-scale clinical trials, such cases are just coincidences. It is possible that someone among the participants will get sick, the main thing is to carefully determine the causes of the illness. The final decision on whether to resume vaccine trials will be made by the MHRA. Scientists at the University of Oxford believe that such an approach only shows how seriously they take the protection of volunteers’ health and how meticulously they adhere to the highest medical standards in their research.
US President Donald Trump wants the Covid-19 vaccine to be developed before the presidential election on November 3. Skeptics argue that the president is prioritizing his own political interests over the potential public health consequences. On Tuesday, nine companies developing a vaccine against Covid-19 issued a joint statement emphasizing their intention to adhere to all principles of scientific research and ethics, and in no way intend to jeopardize the health of volunteers participating in new drug trials. Companies that have signed the statement include AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, BioNTech, GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, Merck, Moderna, Sanofi, and Novavax.
According to the World Health Organization, more than 160 vaccines are currently being tested worldwide, but none have completed clinical trials. The WHO adds that even if the vaccine is developed, it will need to undergo extensive testing and is unlikely to be approved this year. However, Russia and China have already announced that they have developed their own versions of the vaccine and have even begun vaccinating certain populations. According to the WHO, these two vaccines are still in the testing phase.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has indicated that a promising vaccine option may be approved in the United States before it completes the third phase of clinical trials. This means that use of the drug could actually begin before the presidential election. Last week, news broke that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had urged state leaders to consider the possibility of waiving some requirements in order to be ready to distribute the vaccine by November 1 – two days before the presidential election.