- AstraZeneca Plc AZN and Oxford University scientists said that the initial testing of its nasal COVID-19 vaccine did not yield the desired protection.
- The AstraZeneca-funded phase 1 trial tested the efficacy of the Oxford vaccine when delivered through a simple device that sprays droplets up the nose.
- In a statement, the University of Oxford said that an antibody response in the respiratory mucous membranes was seen in only a minority of participants in the trial.
- While the trial raised no safety issues, the researchers found that the spray produced “weak and inconsistent” immune responses, which, according to their eBioMedicine report, were “insufficient to warrant further development of the current formulation/device combination.”
- According to a report by Reuters, the immune response measured in the blood was weaker than that from a shot-in-the-arm vaccination.
- The trial conducted by the British researchers enrolled 30 participants who were previously unvaccinated and 12 who had previously received a standard two-dose vaccine course by injection.
- “The nasal spray did not perform as well in this study as we had hoped,” said Sandy Douglas, chief investigator of the trial at Oxford University’s Jenner Institute, as quoted by Reuters.
- “We believe that delivery of vaccines to the nose and lungs remains a promising approach, but this study suggests there are likely to be challenged in making nasal sprays a reliable option,” she added.
- Price Action: AZN shares are up 0.09% at $54.26 during the premarket session on the last check Tuesday.
- Photo by Paul McManus from Pixabay
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