AstraZeneca has suspended testing of a
possible COVID vaccine it has developed with Oxford University
and an Italian research lab after one of the participants
suffered a potentially serious adverse reaction.
The temporary halt will enable the pharmaceuticals giant to
revise safety and security data and protocols, it said.
AstraZeneca shares fell 6% in after hours trading in New York.
Piero di Lorenzo, CEO of the IRBM research lab in Pomezia south
of Rome, which is involved in the project, said "an adverse
clinical picture presented in only one of the 50,000 volunteers
on which the vaccine has been tested".
Health Minister Rioberto Speranza said last week that the first
doses of the new Astrazeneca
COVID vaccine should be available by the end of the year.
Australia has secured a deal with AstraZeneca to
supply its potential COVID-19 vaccine to its entire population
free of charge, becoming the latest country to lock in supplies
of the drug should trials succeed.
IRBM says ion its website: "We are a partner research
organization with decades of experience in translating nascent
research into drug discovery programs, providing support across
the drug discovery pipeline, and offering stand-alone services
to our partners.
Since our establishment as the Italian site of Merck Research
Laboratories in 2000, we have built an unprecedented track
record in drug discovery. Our collaborative efforts have led to
the successful launch of four therapeutics currently on the
market, and over 25 candidates in clinical trials. As a
forward-looking organization grounded in global pharma heritage,
high-level R&D expertise is brought to every project through our
seasoned leadership team, which oversees all programs.
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