LONDON – Head of drug dealer AstraZeneca, which is developing a coronavirus vaccine widely approved by UK authorities this week, said researchers believe the bullet will be effective against a new version of the virus is driving a rapid rise in disease in Britain. .
AstraZeneca AZN,
Chief Executive Pascal Soriot also told the Sunday Times that researchers developing the vaccine have discovered a “winning formula” that makes the injection as effective as competing candidates.
Some have raised concerns that the AstraZeneca vaccine, being developed by Oxford University, as well as the one already made by Pfizer, may not be rolled out in the UK and other countries. Partial findings suggest that AstraZeneca pill is approximately 70% effective in preventing coronavirus infection, compared to the 95% effectiveness reported by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech.
“We think we’ve figured out the winning formula and how to get an efficacy that, after two doses, is up there with everyone else,” Soriot said. “I can’t tell you more because we will publish at some point.”
The British government says its medical regulator is reviewing the final data from AstraZeneca’s phase three clinical trials. The Times and others have reported that the green light could come by Thursday, and the vaccines could be rolled out to the UK public in the first week of January.
Asked about the effectiveness of the vaccine against the new strain of coronavirus spreading in the UK, Soriot said: “So far, we believe that the vaccine should remain effective. But we can’t be sure, so we’re going to prove it. ”
British authorities have blamed the new virus variant for high levels of infections across the country. They said the variable is much more widespread, but stressed that there is no evidence that it makes people sicker.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson was sounding an emergency warning about the days leading up to Christmas, saying the new version of the virus was spreading rapidly and plans for travel and collection needed to be postponed for millions to prevent the spread the virus.
Since then authorities have put larger areas of the country – affecting around 24 million people, or 43% of the population – in the thinnest of restrictions. Shops are incapable of closing, restaurants and pubs can only operate for inclusion and indoor socialization is not allowed.
Many countries swiftly banned travel from the UK, but cases of the new variant have been reported in a dozen locations around the world.
Public health officials said on December 24 that more than 600,000 people had received the first of two doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
Britain recorded a further 30,501 COVID-19 positive cases and a further 316 deaths on Sunday, bringing the country’s total death toll to 70,752. Many hospitals under pressure, including the largest hospital in Wales, issued an emergency appeal on Saturday for healthcare staff or medical students to help care for patients. coronavirus under intensive care.
The health board that runs the University Hospital of Wales Hospital on Sunday said the situation had improved, but their emergency care unit was still very busy.