LONDON: AstraZeneca has paused global trials of its experimental coronavirus vaccine after an unexplained illness in a participant, dimming prospects for an early rollout.
On Tuesday, AstraZeneca said it voluntarily paused trials, including late-stage ones, to allow an independent committee to review safety data, and it was working to expedite the review to minimise any potential impact on the trial timeline.
The vaccine, which AstraZeneca is developing with the University of Oxford, has been described by the World Health Organization (WHO) as probably the world’s leading candidate and the most advanced in terms of development.
“It is obviously a challenge to this particular vaccine trial,” Britain’s Health Secretary Matt Hancock told Sky News, adding: “It’s not actually the first time this has happened to the Oxford vaccine”.
It follows reports the US was aiming for a fast-track approval before the November presidential election.
Asked whether the pause would set back the vaccine development process, Hancock said: “Not necessarily, it depends on what they find when they do the investigation.”