AstraZeneca’s Oxford coronavirus vaccine is 70% effective on average, data shows

Drugmaker AstraZeneca announced on Monday that its experimental coronavirus vaccine has shown an average efficacy of 70% in its large scale trials — the latest of several vaccine trials worldwide to post their results this month.

The vaccine, developed with the University of Oxford, showed 90% efficacy in one dosing regimen — when the vaccine was given as a half dose, followed by a full dose at least a month later — and 62% efficacy in a second regimen — when two full doses were given at least a month apart.

That averages to a 70% efficacy, AstraZeneca said.

The company said in a news release that its vaccine was “highly effective in preventing COVID-19, the primary endpoint, and no hospitalisations or severe cases of the disease were reported in participants receiving the vaccine.”

The interim analysis included a total of 131 Covid-19 cases, according to the release.

Monday’s news comes after Moderna announced earlier this month that its vaccine was 94.5% effective against coronavirus, and Pfizer announced its vaccine was 95% effective.

This is a developing story … more to follow