results<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>were published Monday in The Lancet medical journal.<\/p>\nAstraZeneca shares rose as much as 10% in London but gave up much of gain to trade 0.6% higher as researchers cautioned that the results were preliminary.<\/p>\n
A positive outcome had been widely expected after reports last week lifted the stock, with the vaccine already in more advanced trials.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are seeing very good immune responses, not just on neutralizing antibodies but of T-cells as well,\u201d said Adrian Hill, head of Oxford\u2019s Jenner Institute, in an interview. \u201cWe\u2019re stimulating both arms of the immune system.\u201d<\/p>\n
The results will be closely scrutinized as governments around the world seek to end a pandemic that\u2019s killed more than 600,000 people and triggered economic turmoil since erupting earlier this year.<\/p>\n
Moderna Inc., another front-runner,\u00a0released results\u00a0last week from an early-stage test that showed its vaccine raised levels of antibodies that fight the virus.<\/p>\n
Key step<\/strong><\/p>\nAlthough stimulating production of neutralizing antibodies doesn\u2019t prove a vaccine will be effective, it\u2019s considered an important early step in testing.<\/p>\n
Results from testing in animals had already shown the Oxford-AstraZeneca shot provoked an immune response.<\/p>\n
Across the world, about 160 coronavirus vaccines are in various stages of development, according to the\u00a0World Health Organization.<\/p>\n
The Oxford shot is close to the front of the pack and has already begun final-stage tests. AstraZeneca has said it may begin delivering doses to the UK as early as September.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want other companies to have vaccines that work as well because the world will get more vaccine sooner,\u201d Hill said. \u201cWe just\u00a0feel<\/span>\u00a0there is an advantage of having both arms of the immune system stimulated well.\u201d<\/p>\nThe British drugmaker received a boost when the U.S. pledged as much as $1.2 billion toward development. Under its agreement with Astra, the US could begin receiving supplies as early as October.<\/p>\n
The UK has also struck a supply agreement for the shot, but on Monday it secured access to other drugmakers\u2019 experimental vaccines to hedge its bets and garner enough doses to cover its population of 66 million. T<\/p>\n
he government secured deals with Pfizer, BioNTech SE and\u00a0Valneva SE.<\/p>\n
Covid fight<\/strong><\/p>\nCompanies and universities are relying on an array of approaches in the fight against Covid-19.<\/p>\n
The Oxford team has developed a technology that can speed up the process by using a harmless virus to carry some of the pathogen\u2019s genetic material into cells to generate an immune response.<\/p>\n
The proposed vaccine is made from a weakened version of a common cold virus that\u2019s genetically changed to make it unable to grow in humans.<\/p>\n
Oxford has inserted genetic material from the surface spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus as a way of tricking the immune system into fighting back.<\/p>\n
The platform stimulates both antibodies and high levels of killer T-cells, a type of white blood cell that helps the immune system destroy infection.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re very encouraged,\u201d Hill said. While the test doesn\u2019t prove the vaccine will work, \u201cI think we\u2019re a bit more confident it should work this week than last week.\u201d<\/p>\n
Moderna\u2019s initial results were from the first group of 45 patients who received the vaccine Moderna\u2019s shares surged in U.S. trading after the results, despite a high rate of side effects among the patients who got the shot.<\/p>\n
The Oxford shot elicited neutralizing antibodies after a single dose, Hill said. That may be an important advantage in quickly raising immunity.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t read that clearly in the Moderna data,\u201d he said. \u201cI think they need two doses to see plausibly protective neutralizing antibodies.\u201c<\/p>\n
A large trial is set to begin this month that will test Moderna\u2019s vaccine in a two-shot regimen. Astra will also prioritize a two-shot regimen, Hill said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt gives higher titres of antibodies, which is important going forward,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
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