New data offer glimpse of efficacy of Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine

A Covid-19 vaccine being developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca produced an immune response in participants enrolled in a 1,000-person trial, according to data published yesterday in the Lancet. The vaccine also produced mild-to-moderate side effects in 60% of volunteers, including fever, headaches, and muscle aches. Results from a Phase 2 trial of Chinese biotech company CanSino's Covid-19 vaccine were also published in the Lancet yesterday, and showed that the vaccine induced neutralizing antibody responses. But the vaccine, like in a Phase 1 trial, worked better in some patients — notably those under the age of 55 — than others. The AstraZeneca and Oxford vaccine is already in a Phase 3 trial, while CanSino is currently planning for a late-stage trial of its product.