Clinical trials of COVID-19 vaccine AZD1222 being developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University have resumed in the United Kingdom after a brief safety pause. The trials resumed after the Medicines Health Regulatory Authority confirmed that the trials are safe. AstraZeneca had paused its trials after observing a single event of an unexplained illness that occurred in the UK phase III trial.

After AstraZeneca resumed the trial in the United Kingdom, Serum Institute of India has said that they will restart the trial in the country once the apex drug regulator allows. Serum Institute of India partnered with AstraZeneca to manufacture the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine candidate for low-and-middle-income countries.

AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford, as the trial sponsor, cannot disclose further medical information. All trial investigators and participants will be updated with the relevant information and this will be disclosed on global clinical registries, according to the clinical trial and regulatory standards.

AstraZeneca is committed to the safety of trial participants and the highest standards of conduct in clinical trials. The Company will continue to work with health authorities across the world and be guided as to when other clinical trials can resume to provide the vaccine broadly, equitably and at no profit during this pandemic.

AZD1222 was co-invented by the University of Oxford and its spin-out company, Vaccitech. It uses a replication-deficient chimpanzee viral vector based on a weakened version of a common cold virus (adenovirus) that causes infections in chimpanzees and contains the genetic material of the SARS-CoV-2 virus spike protein. After vaccination, the surface spike protein is produced, priming the immune system to attack the SARS-CoV-2 virus if it later infects the body.

AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialisation of prescription medicines, primarily for the treatment of diseases in three therapy areas - Oncology, Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism, and Respiratory & Immunology. Based in Cambridge, UK, AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide.