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AstraZeneca: Vaccine candidate prompts immune response in seniors

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AstraZenecaAstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) announced today that its potential COVID-19 vaccine prompts an immune response in older and younger adults. 

The vaccine candidate is currently in a Phase 3 trial. 

In September, the company had put its vaccine trial on hold after a U.K. participant suffered neurological symptoms. But the AZD1222 vaccine candidate appears to be safe based on interim results of the late-stage study. Adverse events related to the vaccine have been lower in older than younger adults. Conversely, the immune response from the two age groups was similar. 

AstraZeneca announced on Friday that FDA and other regulators granted permission for the trial to continue.        

Other COVID-19 vaccines in Phase 3 trials have also prompted immune responses in older patients. 

Other promising vaccine candidates include those from Moderna, Pfizer and Janssen Pharmaceutica. 

The vaccine, which AstraZeneca is developing in collaboration with the University of Oxford, is unique in its use of a replication-deficient chimpanzee viral vector. Janssen’s uses a non-replicating human adenovirus as a vector. 

Vector-based vaccines can prompt fevers and headaches, according to an article in The Scientist. But vector-based vaccines can prompt immunogenicity without the use of adjuvant, a pharmacological or immunological agent intended to optimize the immune response. 

Conversely, Moderna’s and Pfizer’s vaccine platforms use mRNA encapsulated in a lipid nanoparticle.

Filed Under: clinical trials, Drug Discovery, Infectious Disease
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About The Author

Brian Buntz

As the pharma and biotech editor at WTWH Media, Brian has almost two decades of experience in B2B media, with a focus on healthcare and technology. While he has long maintained a keen interest in AI, more recently Brian has made making data analysis a central focus, and is exploring tools ranging from NLP and clustering to predictive analytics.

Throughout his 18-year tenure, Brian has covered an array of life science topics, including clinical trials, medical devices, and drug discovery and development. Prior to WTWH, he held the title of content director at Informa, where he focused on topics such as connected devices, cybersecurity, AI and Industry 4.0. A dedicated decade at UBM saw Brian providing in-depth coverage of the medical device sector. Engage with Brian on LinkedIn or drop him an email at bbuntz@wtwhmedia.com.

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