The phase 3 trial of the candidate coronavirus vaccine developed by Oxford University has been halted after one of the volunteers showed an adverse reaction.
The spokesperson of the British-Swedish pharma company, AstraZeneca, Oxford University’s partner in the venture, confirmed the development in a statement.
As part of the ongoing randomized, controlled global trials of the Oxford coronavirus vaccine, our standard review process was triggered and we voluntarily paused vaccination to allow a review of safety data by an independent committee.
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The spokesperson clarified that so far only one patient developed a reaction to the vaccine. He said that pausing the vaccine test is a routine procedure and happens whenever a trial hits a roadblock. It will remain suspended until the ‘unexplained illness’ is investigated, he added.
The British drug-maker mentioned that their scientists are working to ‘expedite the review,’ and hoped that the delay will not impact the trial timeline.
In a follow-up, the company specified that it was a voluntary halt, and wasn’t called for by any external regulators.
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The potential vaccine, AZD1222, is one of the nine candidate vaccines across the world undergoing the final stages of trials before a commercial launch. It is being tested all around the world.
Reportedly, one of the participants in the US developed a reaction to the vaccine. No further details have come out in this regard. He is, however, told to be in stable condition and expected to recover soon.
