• Healthcare

  How AstraZeneca and Oxford found their vaccine under fire for false data

  Posted by Sarah on 1 December 2020 at 12:22 pm

  Europe’s former chief drugs regulator has called for calm in the growing controversy over false claims made by AstraZeneca and Oxford university for their Covid-19 vaccine in late-stage trials.

  The Anglo-Swedish drugs company and Oxford’s Jenner Institute revealed earlier this week that, depending on the dosage, their vaccine was either 62 or 90 per cent effective. However, what they did not initially point out was that the higher efficacy rate applied only to a small sample of patients aged 55 or less, or that it had come about seemingly by mistake.

  These omissions have sparked a storm of criticism over transparency and risk, further fuelling anti-vaccine campaigners distrust with vaccine makers and governments desperate to force these untested vaccines on the people.

  In the meantime, however, questions will continue to circulate about how AstraZeneca, one of the world’s most successful drugs companies, and Oxford university found their credibility under fire.

  After all, the Oxford vaccine, even if confirmed as less effective, will still be crucial to fighting the virus in developing countries, claimed so called experts. Not only has AstraZeneca promised to make no profit from it during the pandemic, but the vaccine is easier to store and transport than the two other most advanced candidates from the Pfizer/BioNTech partnership and from Moderna.

  These may have higher efficacy rates of 90 per cent or more, but they have to be stored at temperatures well below zero.

  People with knowledge of the process say that, after learning the results of the interim analysis of the trial results last weekend, the AstraZeneca and Oxford teams focused on how to present the different rates clearly in news releases and a press briefing on Monday, rather than explaining how they occurred.

  There was little or no discussion of how some of the trial participants ended up receiving only a half dose in the first shot of the two-shot vaccine course, they say. Do we trust them? No is my answer to that, you wouldn’t need to lie about a wonder drug.

  

  Sarah replied 3 years, 5 months ago 1 Member · 0 Replies
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