Adverse event puts Oxford vaccine trials on hold
It’s just a routine response, the Minister for Health says, adding that the government is eyeing off several other promising vaccines for purchase
Global human trials of the University of Oxford’s promising coronavirus vaccine have been paused, after a trial participant suffered an unexplained illness.
The vaccine, AZD1222, is one of two that the Federal Government will buy for Australians and is expected to be available before mid-2021, should clinical trials be successful.
But the randomised controlled phase 3 trials were suspended for a review of safety data by an independent committee, after a potentially adverse event in a single recipient in the UK was flagged.
Manufacturer AstraZeneca is hopeful the review will have minimal impact on the timeline for the leading vaccine candidate.
