ISLAMABAD, Jul 16 (APP):Researchers at the University of Oxford believe they may have a breakthrough in their search for a COVID-19 vaccine after the team discovered that the jab could provide “double protection” against the deadly coronavirus following early stage human trials, according to media reports in the UK.
The Oxford vaccine candidate is believed to be leading the race among over 100 to find an effective protection against the disease.
Oxford scientists have found that the jab triggers a response that may offer a “double defence” against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, the Telegraph reported.
The vaccine was developed at the University of Oxford’s Jenner Institute.Oxford in April announced an agreement with the UK-based global biopharmaceutical company for the further development.
While the Phase-1 trial of the vaccine candidate began in April itself, a start of the Phase2/Phase-3 UK trial of the Oxford vaccine, named AZD1222, in about 10,000 adult volunteers, was announced in May.
However, the results of the Phase-1 trial were still awaited.
In June, CEO biopharmaceutical company Pascal Soriot said that the Oxford vaccine will likely provide protection against the disease for one year.
“We think it will protect for about a year,” Soriot quoted.
David Carpenter, chairman of the Berkshire Research Ethics Committee, which approved the Oxford trial, said the vaccine team was “absolutely on track”.
The COVID-19 vaccine trial team have been working hard on assessing the safety and immunogenicity of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 and preparing to assess vaccine efficacy, Sarah Gilbert, professor of vaccinology at the university’s Jenner Institute who is leading the research, said .
The Oxford University vaccine is one of more than 100 in development as the novel coronavirus continues to spread infecting more than 13 million people and killing at least 582,000 worldwide.
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