A leading coronavirus vaccine trial is on hold: scientists react

A leading coronavirus vaccine trial is on hold: scientists react



AstraZeneca has paused enrolment in trials for the coronavirus vaccine developed by the University of Oxford. (Nelson Almeida/AFP/Getty)

Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine trial paused

Enrolment in global trials of a leading coronavirus vaccine candidate are on hold after a ‘suspected adverse event’ in a person who received the vaccine in the United Kingdom. The drug is being developed by the University of Oxford in collaboration with the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca. “This is a routine action which has to happen whenever there is a potentially unexplained illness in one of the trials, while it is investigated,” AstraZeneca said in a statement. It is the second time that enrolment has been paused — in the first case, the person was found to have an illness unrelated to the vaccine. “If the event is linked definitively, or even probably, to the vaccine, it could be a definitive blow to this particular vaccine candidate,” says vaccine researcher Marie-Paule Kieny. “If unrelated, the hold might be lifted in a matter of weeks.” The move shows that safety systems are working, say scientists, even under unprecedented pressure and politicalization of the process.
Nature | 6 min read