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(Alliance News) - AstraZeneca PLC on Wednesday said its Covid-19 vaccine developed in partnership with Oxford University has been approved by the UK Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency for emergency supply in the country.
The FTSE 100 Anglo-Swedish drug manufacturer said the first doses will be released Wednesday in order for vaccinations to start early in the new year.
The vaccine has been approved for the immunization of individuals aged 18 and over, with the authorisation recommending two doses administered with an interval of four to 12 weeks.
In November, Astra said the vaccine - formerly known as AZD1222 - was up to 90% effective at preventing Covid-19. One dosing regimen showed vaccine efficacy of 90% when AZD1222 was given as a half dose, followed by a full dose at least one month apart. Another dosing regimen showed 62% efficacy when given as two full doses at least one month apart. The combined analysis from both dosing regimens resulted in an average efficacy of 70%.
At the time, the Cambridge-based company said it was making "rapid progress" in manufacturing, with a capacity of up to 3 billion doses of the vaccine in 2021 on a rolling basis.
"Today is an important day for millions of people in the UK who will get access to this new vaccine. It has been shown to be effective, well-tolerated, simple to administer and is supplied by AstraZeneca at no profit," AstraZeneca Chief Executive Pascal Soriot said on Wednesday.
Added UK Secretary of State for Health & Social Care Matt Hancock: "This is a moment to celebrate British innovation - not only are we responsible for discovering the first treatment to reduce mortality for Covid-19, this vaccine will be made available to some of the poorest regions of the world at a low cost, helping protect countless people from this awful disease."
The AstraZeneca vaccine is the second to be approved in the UK. The Pfizer Inc-BioNTech SE vaccine was approved earlier in December.
Shares in Astra were trading 0.5% higher at 7,500.00 each Wednesday morning in London.
By Ife Taiwo; ifetaiwo@alliancenews.com
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