AstraZeneca: COVID-19 vaccine spurs immune response in adults

Oct. 26 (UPI) -- Drugmaker AstraZeneca said Monday its potential COVID-19 vaccine has shown encouraging results in producing immune responses patients.

Its AZD1222 vaccine candidate, being developed in partnership with Oxford University, has produced similar immune responses in both older and younger patients, the company said Monday in an interim analysis.

Adverse reactions to the vaccine among older human volunteers were also found to be lower, researchers say.

"It is encouraging to see immunogenicity responses were similar between older and younger adults and that reactogenicity was lower in older adults, where the COVID-19 disease severity is higher," an AstraZeneca spokesman told CNBC.

"The results further build the body of evidence for the safety and immunogenicity of AZD1222."

Oxford researchers found that the vaccine caused "robust immune responses" of protective antibodies and T cells in people aged over 55.

Experts say the elderly are among the most vulnerable to the coronavirus disease.

The AstraZeneca-Oxford candidate, now in final-stage clinical trials, is a front-runner in the global race to develop an effective vaccine against COVID-19.

AstraZeneca said Friday the U.S. portion of its trial, which was halted last month after a British participant died, was given the go-ahead to resume.

The AZD1222 candidate is one of a number of possible vaccines in development. Others from Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson and Novavax are also in late-stage clinical trials. Click here for our COVID-19 vaccine tracker.