BRIEF-Oxford Says Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine Effective Against UK B.1.1.7 'Kent' Strain

Feb 5 (Reuters) - Oxford University:

• OXFORD VACCINE EFFECTIVE AGAINST MAJOR B.1.1.7 'KENT' CORONAVIRUS STRAIN CIRCULATING IN UK

• PREPRINT OF ONGOING WORK TO ASSESS EFFECTIVENESS OF ITS VACCINE SHOWS VACCINE HAS SIMILAR EFFICACY AGAINST B.1.1.7 'KENT' CORONAVIRUS STRAIN

• RESEARCHERS WHO DEVELOPED CHADOX1-NCOV 19 VACCINE HAVE FOUND THAT IT REMAINS EFFECTIVE AGAINST ONE OF NEW VARIANTS OF DISEASE

• DATA FROM TRIALS OF CHADOX1 VACCINE IN UK INDICATE VACCINE ALSO PROTECTS AGAINST NOVEL VARIANT, B.1.1.7

• BETWEEN 1 OCT-JAN 14, RESEARCHERS USED SWABS TAKEN FROM VOLUNTEERS WITH SYMPTOMATIC & ASYMPTOMATIC INFECTION ENROLLED IN PHASE II/III STUDY

• VACCINE RESEARCHERS ARE ALREADY LOOKING AT WAYS TO MODIFY EXISTING VACCINES QUICKLY AND SIMPLY TO PROTECT AGAINST NEW VARIANTS

• WORKING WITH ASTRAZENECA TO OPTIMISE PIPELINE REQUIRED FOR A STRAIN CHANGE SHOULD ONE BECOME NECESSARY

• WORKING WITH ASTRAZENECA TO OPTIMISE PIPELINE REQUIRED FOR A STRAIN CHANGE SHOULD ONE BECOME NECESSARY

• PROTECTION AGAINST SYMPTOMATIC INFECTION SIMILAR DESPITE LOWER NEUTRALISING ANTIBODY TITRES IN VACCINATED INDIVIDUALS AGAINST B.1.1.7 VARIANT THAN 'VICTORIA' STRAIN OF VIRUS

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