23rd Oct 2020 21:17
(Alliance News) - AstraZeneca PLC said late Friday clinical trials for its AZD1222 coronavirus vaccine, being developed alongside Oxford University, has been resumed around the world, as regulators in the US, UK, Brazil, South Africa and Japan confirmed that it is safe to do so.
The US Food & Drug Administration authorised the restart of the trials in the US, as they resumed in other countries in recent weeks, following the review of all safety data from trials in other regions.
In early September, the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker's clinical trials were paused after a volunteer developed an unexplained illness. A spokesperson for the AstraZeneca vaccine said in a statement that "we voluntarily paused vaccination to allow review of safety data by an independent committee.
On Wednesday, a volunteer participating in AstraZeneca's clinical trials for the Covid-19 vaccine died in Brazil, though it was unclear whether the Brazilian received the vaccine or a placebo.
It was the first death reported in the various coronavirus vaccine trials taking place worldwide.
"The restart of clinical trials across the world is great news as it allows us to continue our efforts to develop this vaccine to help defeat this terrible pandemic. We should be reassured by the care taken by independent regulators to protect the public and ensure the vaccine is safe before it is approved for use," said Chief Executive Officer Pascal Soriot.
Shares in AstraZeneca closed 0.2% lower at 7,943.00 pence on Friday in London.
By Dayo Laniyan; [email protected]
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