After Pfizer and Modern it's up to AstraZeneca to make its move. The British biopharmaceutical company is developing a vaccine against Covid-19 together with the University of Oxford and the Irbm of Pomezia. According to the preliminary results of the trial, now in phase 3, the vaccine would have an average efficacy of 70% in disease prevention. A lower figure than that announced by the two American competitors whose vaccines after phase 3 demonstrated an efficacy of 95% (Pfizer) and 94,5% (Moderna). However, AstraZeneca has specified that the level of protection varies from 62 to 90% based on the dosages administered to the volunteers. Not only. Despite the lower efficacy demonstrated so far, the European vaccine has two advantages over its competitors: it is cheaper than the other two (2,80 euros per dose compared to 16-20 euros for American vaccines) and easier to store. The serum can in fact be stored, transported and handled under normal refrigeration conditions (2-8 degrees Celsius/3646 degrees Fahrenheit) for at least six months and administered within existing healthcare facilities. A characteristic, the latter, very relevant for a preparation that will have to have a mass diffusion, above all taking into account the fact that the Pfizer vaccine must be stored at -80 degrees, while the Moderna one can remain for 30 days in a refrigerator or in a freezer, remaining room temperature up to 12 hours.
THE EXPERIMENTATION
Going into details, the trial involved 20 volunteers distributed between the United Kingdom and Brazil. In total there were 30 cases of Covid recorded among patients who received the vaccine and 101 among those who received the placebo. No hospitalizations or severe cases of Covid-19 were recorded among the participants.
The preparation was administered using two different types of dosage that have demonstrated efficacy, with one regimen better than the other, explained Astrazeneca. The regimen with one dose of the vaccine showed an efficacy of 90%: in this case the vaccine was administered as a half dose, followed by a full dose at least one month apart. The second regimen followed showed an efficacy equal to 62%: in this case two full doses were administered one month apart.
“Combined analysis of the two regimens gave an average vaccine efficacy of 70%. Further analyzes will be carried out to establish the duration of protection,” the company said, which provided further details. In particular, the protection starts two weeks after the inoculation of the second dose. Second, the vaccine was well tolerated in both dose regimens.
COMMENTS
“Today marks an important stage in our fight against the pandemic. The efficacy and safety of this vaccine confirm that it will be highly effective against Covid-19 and will have an immediate impact on this public health emergency. Additionally, the vaccine's simple supply chain and our non-profit commitment to broad, equitable and timely access means it will be affordable and globally available, delivering hundreds of millions of doses upon approval," said Pascal Soriot, administrator delegate of Astrazeneca.
“The results – added Andrew Pollard, Chief Investigator of the clinical trial – demonstrate that we have an effective vaccine that will save many lives. Interestingly, we have found that one of our dosing regimens can be around 90% effective and if this mode of administration is used more people could be vaccinated with the planned vaccine supply.”
FORECASTS
According to company forecasts, if all goes as it should, the first two million doses could arrive in Italy by December (the government has booked 70 million doses by June). AstraZeneca is working towards a production capacity of up to 3 billion vaccine doses in 2021.
AstraZeneca, like its American colleagues, is also preparing to ask for authorizations "all over the world from the authorities that have a framework for conditional or early approval". There is also the possibility of requesting an authorization for "emergency use".
THE REACTION OF THE BAGS
As happened with the two previous announcements, AstraZeneca's results instill optimism in the stock markets, now convinced that an anti-Covid vaccine will arrive shortly, putting an end to the pandemic that has brought world economies to their knees. By mid-morning, thanks to the news from the USA where it is assumed that the administration of the anti-Covid treatment could begin in less than three weeks, the price lists are traveling in broadly positive territory. Madrid and Paris gain 0,7%, Frankfurt rises 0,8%, London 0,3%. Milan is doing even better, currently up by 0,9%, also driven by the bank risk news.
