The challenging nature of medicine and vaccine development has again been made very clear with AstraZeneca pausing dosing in the phase three trial of its investigative COVID-19 vaccine.
The company, which is developing the adenovirus viral vector vaccine with The University of Oxford, recently signed a 33.8 million dose deal with the Australian government.
The vaccine is considered one of the leading candidates, in terms of time to development, and is currently in late-stage trials at sites in multiple countries.
Reuters reported the company said its "standard review process triggered a pause to vaccination to allow review of safety data."
"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, ensuring we maintain the integrity of the trials," said the company.
The event could be completely unrelated to the vaccine and dosing in the study could quickly recommence.
"In large trials illnesses will happen by chance but must be independently reviewed to check this carefully. We are working to expedite the review of the single event to minimise any potential impact on the trial timeline. We are committed to the safety of our participants and the highest standards of conduct in our trials," added the company.
