The widened scope of the FDA probe raises the likelihood of additional delays for what has been one of the most advanced COVID-19 vaccine candidates in development. The administration of President Donald Trump has pledged $1.2 billion to support development of the AstraZeneca vaccine and secure 300 million doses for the United States. The FDA, however, wants to determine whether similar side effects emerged in trials of other vaccines designed by AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine partner, researchers at Oxford University, the sources said. Reuters reviewed six research papers that detailed safety data of vaccines using the engineered chimpanzee adenovirus called ChAdOx1 for diseases including tuberculosis, prostate cancer and influenza. AstraZeneca's vaccine development could also be slowed by a change to its clinical trial protocols to show that it has met pre-determined safety and efficacy standards.

Source: bd News24 September 30, 2020 21:33 UTC