Harianjogja.com, JAKARTA – Covid-19 vaccine developers, AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford recently announced preliminary results of their final clinical trials. The results were positive that their vaccine was reported to be effective.
However, AstraZeneca and Oxford appear to be under pressure because the results of the earlier Pfizer and Moderna final clinical trials have had a higher success rate. Now, scientists will scrutinize the initial results.
Reporting from Bloomberg, The following Wednesday (25/11) are things that are known to be related to the development of the leading Covid-19 vaccine carried out by developers.
How do the results of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine compare to Pfizer and Moderna?
The Astra-Oxford vaccine prevented 70 percent of cases on average in large trials in the UK and Brazil. The results combine data from two different dosing regimens, leaving questions about the best way to administer the vaccine. One regimen showed efficacy of up to 90 percent, while the other showed 62 percent success.
These numbers fall short of the highest standards set by Pfizer-BioNTech which reveals the finding that their vaccine is 95 percent effective. Similar results were announced by Moderna, which shows an equally strong position in terms of effectiveness.
AstraZeneca said it was preparing to submit its data to regulators around the world who have a framework for conditional approval, including registering for emergency use from the World Health Organization.
Meanwhile, Pfizer has requested emergency use in the United States on November 20 and last week Moderna said it would seek regulatory approval in the coming weeks.
What is the difference between the AstraZeneca vaccine with Pfizer and Moderna?
The vaccines from AstraZeneca and Oxford use a harmless virus to carry some of the pathogenic genetic material into cells, to generate an immune response. It uses viral vectors of attenuated flu viruses.
Meanwhile, the vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna use mRNA technology. When injected, mRNA instructs cells to make the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, which is normally used to attack cells.
Another difference, the cold chain platform used. For Pfizer, the vaccine must be stored at a temperature of minus 70 degrees Celsius, while for moderna minus 20 degrees. The lowest is the vaccine made by Pfizer which can be stored at a temperature of 2-8 degrees.
How much does each vaccine cost?
AstraZeneca said they would sell vaccines during the pandemic for between US $ and US $ 5 dollars, depending on local costs.
Meanwhile, the United States has agreed to pay for Pfizer’s vaccine at a price of US $ 1.95 billion for 100 million doses of the vaccine, or the equivalent of US $ 39 for two immunization shots.
Meanwhile, Moderna said the subsidiary companies charge between US $ 32 and US $ 37 for smaller transactions, and that the price could be cheaper for larger purchases.
In this case, the vaccine developed by Oxford-AstraZeneca has the advantage of being distributed to various countries. The vaccine can be stored at the generally available refrigerator temperature.
Meanwhile, the vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna use new mRNA technology, which requires freezing equipment for long-term storage and transportation, so it is estimated that they will be more difficult to distribute or be expensive.
When will the vaccine be available?
AstraZeneca CEO said that large-scale vaccinations could be carried out as early as the end of this year. Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected to spend the next few weeks reviewing Pfizer vaccine data.
The results of the review are expected to be available in mid to late December. It all depends on whether the full trial results support the optimism of the preliminary findings and that the developers satisfy regulators.
Some of the main unresolved issues are regarding dosage, how long the vaccine will provide protection in the body, and how easy access to vaccines can be obtained by the wider community.
In addition, another matter that needs to be considered is the possibility of vaccines to be given and to work equally well with the elderly or other most vulnerable groups. This is still the homework of vaccine developers.
Source: JIBI / Bisnis Indonesia
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