AstraZeneca’s vaccine reduced mild and severe forms of the disease, paving the way for a probable authorization of the vaccine in the United States. In short, the results are better than expected and superior to those of previous studies.
The phase III study
The American Phase III Astrazeneca study has in fact demonstrated a statistically significant vaccine efficacy of 79% in the prevention of symptomatic Covid-19 and 100% efficacy in the prevention of serious illnesses and hospitalization. It was also equally effective in people over 65, where it is 80% effective.
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The company said the study did not identify any new safety issues. A specific review found no risk of blood clots, concerns that led to vaccine discontinuation in many European countries, including Italy last week, after the European Medicines Agency said the vaccine‘s benefits outweigh the risks.
“This analysis validates the AstraZeneca vaccine as an additional vaccination option, offering the confidence that adults of all ages can benefit from protection against the virus,” said Ann Falsey, professor of medicine at the University of Rochester School of Medicine. , in the press release.
Request for authorization to the Fda
AstraZeneca plans to apply for an emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration and said it is preparing for “the launch of millions of doses across America.” Specifically, in the first half of April, after approval, it will release 30 million doses in the United States, and another 20 million in the same month. It will then release 15-20m of doses.
Uncertainty about variants
The results come from an interim analysis of a study of 32,000 volunteers conducted in the United States, France, Chile and Peru with funding from the US Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority and the National Institutes of Health. While waiting for the full results to be published, the question that remains open is whether the vaccine acts on variants of the Sars-CoV-2 virus. Data from South Africa, released in February and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed only limited effectiveness.