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Vaccines

AstraZeneca Joins COVID-19 Vaccine Trial Ring with Phase 3 Trials in US

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

British drugmaker AstraZeneca has kicked off Phase 3 trials of its experimental coronavirus vaccine in the United States, making it the third company to initiate late-stage trials of a vaccine aimed at preventing COVID-19. AstraZeneca's vaccine, developed in partnership with Oxford University, has received backing from the US federal government. The company is recruiting up to 30,000 adults aged 18 years or over from diverse racial, ethnic, and geographic groups for the trial. Participants will receive two active or placebo doses, spaced four weeks apart.

Key Takeaways:

  • AstraZeneca has initiated Phase 3 trials of its experimental coronavirus vaccine in the United States, making it the third company to do so.
  • The vaccine, developed in partnership with Oxford University, has the backing of the US federal government.
  • The trial will recruit up to 30,000 adults aged 18 years or over from diverse racial, ethnic, and geographic groups.
  • Participants will receive two active or placebo doses, spaced four weeks apart.
  • AstraZeneca plans to enroll more than 50,000 volunteers globally, including 30,000 in the United States.
  • The company has partnered with governments and organizations to produce billions of doses and create broad and equitable access to the vaccine.
  • The vaccine combines a weakened version of a common cold virus that infects chimpanzees and a protein from the virus that causes COVID-19 to induce an immune response.
  • AstraZeneca has released a statement emphasizing its commitment to science and safety, and has said the vaccine will meet the strict requirements set by global regulators.

Statistics:

  • AstraZeneca plans to enroll more than 50,000 volunteers globally, including 30,000 in the United States.
  • The trial will recruit up to 30,000 adults aged 18 years or over from diverse racial, ethnic, and geographic groups.
  • The company has partnered with governments and organizations to produce billions of doses of the vaccine.
  • AstraZeneca has secured supply agreements with Russia, South Korea, Japan, China, Latin America, and Brazil, taking the global supply capacity towards three billion doses of the vaccine.

Sources:

  • Andrea Kane, CNN, "AstraZeneca starts Phase 3 trials of COVID-19 vaccine in US", no publication date.
  • AstraZeneca statement on vaccine development and supply agreements, no date.

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