AstraZeneca Plc\u2019s Covid-19 vaccine has shown limited efficacy against mild disease caused by the variant first identified in South Africa, according to early data in a small phase trial.<\/p>\n
Efficacy against severe Covid-19 cases, hospitalization and deaths was not yet determined, \u201cgiven that subjects were predominantly young healthy adults,\u201d a spokesperson for AstraZeneca said in a statement.<\/p>\n
None of the participants in the study died or was hospitalized, according to the Financial Times, which first reported on findings of the study.<\/p>\n
The study, with a relatively small sample size of more than 2,000 individuals, hasn\u2019t yet been peer-reviewed and is due to be published on Monday, the newspaper said. Patients in the randomized, double-blind study had a median age of 31.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe do believe our vaccine could protect against severe disease, as neutralising antibody activity is equivalent to that of other Covid-19 vaccines that have demonstrated activity against more severe disease, particularly when the dosing interval is optimised to 8-12 weeks,\u201d the AstraZeneca spokesperson said.<\/p>\n
Initial data indicates other immune responses, such as T-cell responses, may remain intact in the South African variant, the spokesperson added.<\/p>\n
The variant first identified in South Africa is emerging as a key threat to the world\u2019s prospects for ending the pandemic as countries roll out initial vaccine doses. Although vaccine makers said their shots appear to maintain effectiveness against the UK variants, pharma companies are racing to develop booster shots against new variants as the virus evolves.<\/p>\n
Oxford University and AstraZeneca have started adapting their vaccine against this variant, the spokesperson said. Should it be needed, they will advance through clinical development so that it is ready for autumn delivery.<\/p>\n
Earlier this week, Astra\u2019s executive vice president for biopharmaceutical research scaled back expectations for how the vaccine would work against the variant.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not going to be surprised to see reduced efficacy,\u201d Mene Pangalos said. \u201cIt\u2019s to be expected that there will be reduced activity.\u201d<\/p>\n