Oxford vaccine trial BACK ON after it was halted for probe into volunteer who suffered ‘serious reaction’
OXFORD University has resumed its key clinical trial for a coronavirus vaccine – after it was halted when a volunteer suffered a suspected serious adverse reaction.
The Medicines Health Regulatory Authority (MHRA) today confirmed that it was safe to resume trials in a boost to the UK’s efforts to secure a Covid-19 vaccine.
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In a statement, Oxford University said: “The ongoing randomised controlled clinical trials of the Oxford coronavirus vaccine ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 will resume across all UK clinical trial sites.
“Globally some 18,000 individuals have received study vaccines as part of the trial.
“In large trials such as this, it is expected that some participants will become unwell and every case must be carefully evaluated to ensure careful assessment of safety.”
It comes just four days after the trials were put on hold after a volunteer suffered a serious reaction to the vaccine.
AstraZeneca, the pharmaceutical giant working alongside the University, also said the suspension is “routine” and to be expected in large and significant vaccination trials.
Details of the “potentially unexplained illness” reportedly suffered by the volunteer remain unclear.
The New York Times reports that the volunteer was diagnosed with transverse myelitis, an inflammatory syndrome affecting the spinal cord, though this has not been confirmed.
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It comes as a big boost to the UK’s most high profile vaccine trial – which previously has shown strong immune responses in volunteers.
The trial is currently in phase three, the final stage before a vaccine is approved.