A COVID vaccine being developed by
Oxford University for drug multinational Astrazeneca and two
Italian firms including biomedical firm IRBM has been shown to
be up to 90% effective in phase three clinical trials,
researchers said Monday.
Two different types of administration of the vaccine were
trialled, the British university said.
The better one, with 90% efficacy and a maximum tolerability for
the elderly, envisages the inoculation of half a dose and then a
follow-up with a full dose after a month.
The second regime, with two full doses being given at a month's
interval, has shown 62% effectiveness, the university said.
Oxford also carried out a combined analysis of the two regimes
which showed an average effectiveness of 70%.
Health Minister Roberto Speranza hailed the results of the
trials.
"The news out of Oxford on the anti-COVID vaccine is
encouraging," he said.
He said "a lot of prudence is still needed, but it will be
scientific research that will bring humanity out of this
crisis".
Speranza noted that "major Italian firms" are involved in the
project, including IRBM, based at Pomezia south of Rome, and
Catalent, based at Anagni between Rome and Naples.
It is hoped that the Oxford vaccine may be available some time
next year.
Piero Di Lorenzo, the president of the IRBM Pomezia centre, has
said that the first doses could be ready even
earlier, by the end of December.
AstraZeneca is a British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical
and biopharmaceutical company with its headquarters in Cambridge
and its R&D concentrated in three strategic centres: Cambridge,
Gothenburg and Gaithersburg.
IRBM Science Park is an Italian firm, founded in 2009 at Pomezia
just south of Rome, operating in the sector della molecular
biotechnology, biomedical science and organic chemistry.
Catalent is a vial and drug packaging firm.
According to its website, Catalent's Anagni facility is a
world-class, late-stage and commercial product launch site
offering sterile and biologics manufacturing and secondary
packaging with extensive expertise in vial filling for aseptic
liquid and powder products.
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