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Oct 23 (Reuters) - AstraZeneca Plc has resumed the
U.S. trial of its experimental COVID-19 vaccine after approval
by U.S. regulators, the company said on Friday.
AstraZeneca's U.S. trial was paused on Sept. 6 after a
report of a serious neurological illness, believed to be
transverse myelitis, in a participant in the company's UK trial.
U.S. Health and Human Services Deputy Chief of Staff Paul
Mango also told reporters he was optimistic a U.S. trial by
Johnson & Johnson would resume.
J&J paused its large, late-stage trial last week after a
study participant became ill and the company said an independent
safety panel was investigating.
AstraZeneca trials in the United Kingdom, Brazil and South
Africa resumed last month even as the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration continued its investigation into the case.
Reuters earlier this week reported that the FDA had
completed its review and that the AstraZeneca U.S. trial was set
to resume as early as this week, citing four sources familiar
with the situation.
AstraZeneca's vaccine is being developed along with
researchers at Oxford University.
(Reporting by Munsif Vengattil and Carl O'Donnell; Editing by
Anil D'Silva, Rosalba O'Brien and Grant McCool)
Astrazeneca (AZN)