Page 12 - aruba-today-20201124

A12 SCIENCE
Tuesday 24 November 2020
3rd major COVID-19 vaccine shown to be effective and cheaper

By DANICA KIRKA and JILL Overall, there were 131
LAWLESS cases of COVID-19. Details
Associated Press on how many people in the
LONDON (AP) — Drug- various groups became ill
maker AstraZeneca said weren't released Monday,
Monday that late-stage but researchers said they
trials showed its COVID-19 will be published in the next
vaccine is highly effective, 24 hours.
buoying the prospects of Late-stage trials of the vac-
a relatively cheap, easy- cine are also underway
to-store product that may in the U.S., Japan, Russia,
become the vaccine of South Africa, Kenya and
choice for the developing Latin America, with further
world. trials planned for other Eu-
The results are based on an ropean and Asian coun-
interim analysis of trials in tries.
the U.K. and Brazil of a vac- Researchers said they ex-
cine developed by Oxford pect to add the half dose-
University and manufac- full dose regimen to the U.S.
tured by AstraZeneca. No trial in a "matter of weeks.''
hospitalizations or severe Before doing so they must
cases of COVID-19 were discuss the changes with
reported in those receiving In this undated photo issued by the University of Oxford, a researcher in a laboratory at the Jenner the U.S. Food and Drug Ad-
Institute in Oxford, England, works on the coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and
the vaccine. Oxford University. ministration.
AstraZeneca is the third Associated Press The AstraZeneca trials were
major drug company to paused earlier this year af-
report late-stage data for (36 degrees to 46 degrees Oxford team, told The As- a poor quality response as ter a participant in the U.K.
a potential COVID-19 vac- Fahrenheit), the Pfizer and sociated Press. "Diversity is well ...,'' she said. "I'm glad study reported a rare neu-
cine as the world waits for Moderna products must going to be good here, but that we looked at more rological illness. While the
scientific breakthroughs be stored at temperatures also in terms of manufac- than one dose because it trials were quickly restarted
that will end a pandemic approaching minus-70 turing, we don't want to run turns out to be really impor- in most countries after in-
that has pummeled the degrees Celsius (minus-94 out of raw materials." tant." vestigators determined the
world economy and led to Fahrenheit). AstraZeneca said it will im- The vaccine uses a weak- condition wasn't related
1.4 million deaths. But unlike The AstraZeneca vaccine is mediately apply for early ened version of a common to the vaccine, the FDA
the others, the Oxford-As- also cheaper. approval of the vaccine cold virus that is combined delayed the U.S. study for
traZeneca vaccine doesn't AstraZeneca, which has where possible, and it will with genetic material for more than a month before
have to be stored at ultra- pledged it won't make a seek an emergency use list- the characteristic spike it was allowed to resume.
cold temperatures, making profit on the vaccine dur- ing from the World Health protein of the virus that AstraZeneca has been
it easier to distribute, espe- ing the pandemic, has Organization, so it can causes COVID-19. After ramping up manufacturing
cially in developing coun- reached agreements with make the vaccine avail- vaccination, the spike pro- capacity, so it can supply
tries. governments and interna- able in low-income coun- tein primes the immune sys- hundreds of millions of dos-
"I think these are really ex- tional health organizations tries. tem to attack the virus if it es of the vaccine starting
citing results," Dr. Andrew that put its cost at about The AstraZeneca trial later infects the body. in January, Chief Executive
Pollard, chief investigator $2.50 a dose. Pfizer's vac- looked at two different dos- Peter Openshaw, professor Pascal Soriot said earlier this
for the trial, said at a news cine costs about $20, while ing regimens. A half-dose of experimental medicine month.
conference. "Because the Moderna's is $15 to $25, of the vaccine followed at Imperial College Lon- Soriot said Monday that
vaccine can be stored at based on agreements the by a full dose at least one don, said the finding that a the Oxford vaccine's sim-
fridge temperatures, it can companies have struck to month later was 90% effec- smaller initial dose is more pler supply chain and As-
be distributed around the supply their vaccines to the tive. Another approach, effective than a larger one traZeneca's commitment
world using the normal im- U.S. government. giving patients two full dos- is good news because it to provide it on a nonprofit
munization distribution sys- All three vaccines must be es one month apart, was may reduce costs and basis during the pandemic
tem. And so our goal … to approved by regulators 62% effective. mean more people can be mean it will be affordable
make sure that we have a before they can be widely That means that, overall, vaccinated with a given and available to people
vaccine that was acces- distributed. when both ways of dosing supply of the vaccine. around the world.
sible everywhere, I think Oxford researchers and are considered, the vac- "The report that an initial "This vaccine's efficacy and
we've actually managed AstraZeneca stressed they cine showed an efficacy half-dose is better than a safety confirm that it will
to do that." weren't competing with rate of 70%. full dose seems counterin- be highly effective against
The Oxford-AstraZeneca other projects and said Gilbert said researchers tuitive for those of us think- COVID-19 and will have an
vaccine was 90% effective multiple vaccines would be aren't sure why giving a ing of vaccines as normal immediate impact on this
in preventing COVID-19 in needed to reach enough half-dose followed by a drugs: With drugs, we ex- public health emergency,''
one of the dosing regimens of the world's population to larger dose was more ef- pect that higher doses Soriot said.
tested; it was less effec- end the pandemic. fective, and they plan to have bigger effects, and British Health Secretary
tive in another. Earlier this "We need to be able to investigate further. But the more side-effects," he said. Matt Hancock said he felt
month, rival drugmakers make a lot of vaccine for answer is probably related "But the immune system "a great sense of relief" at
Pfizer and Moderna re- the world quickly, and it's to providing exactly the does not work like that." the news from AstraZene-
ported preliminary results best if we can do it with dif- right amount of vaccine to The results reported Mon- ca. Britain has ordered 100
from late-stage trials show- ferent technologies so that get the best response, she day come from trials in the million doses of the vac-
ing their vaccines were al- if one technology runs into said. U.K. and Brazil that involved cine, and the government
most 95% effective. a roadblock, then we've "It's the Goldilocks amount 23,000 people. Of those, says several million doses
While the AstraZeneca vac- got alternatives, we've got that you want, I think, not 11,636 people received the can be produced before
cine can be stored at 2 de- diversity,'' professor Sarah too little and not too much. vaccine — while the rest the end of the year if it is
grees to 8 degrees Celsius Gilbert, a leader of the Too much could give you got a placebo. approved by regulators.q