As we edge closer to the start of a vaccination programme, Lisa Smyth looks at the runners and riders
Moderna
Moderna is filing for US and European emergency regulatory approval of its coronavirus vaccine so that it can be recommended for widespread use. Regulators will look at trial data for the MRNA vaccine and decide if it is safe and effective enough to recommend for roll out. Clinical studies show the jab is more than 94% effective at protecting people from becoming ill with Covid-19. In studies involving 30,000 volunteers, including high risk groups such as the elderly, half received the real vaccine while the remainder received placebo jabs. No serious side effects were reported. The Moderna vaccine costs around £25 per dose. The vaccine must be stored at -20C for up to six months. Northern Ireland is on course to receive 142,500 doses.
Oxford University/astrazeneca
According to information released by Astrazeneca, there were no hospitalisations or severe cases of Covid-19 in people treated with the AZD1222 viral vector vaccine. The vaccine has an overall efficacy of 70%, a lower one of 62% and a high of 90%. This is because different doses of the vaccine were mistakenly used in the trial and it transpired that the results were better in the volunteers who received the half doses in error. Research is still under way on how long immunity provided by the Astrazeneca and University of Oxford vaccine lasts. Crucially, the vaccine can be stored in a fridge and a half-dosing regimen also offers the prospect of far more initial doses being made available. The Astrazeneca jab costs around £3 per dose. Northern Ireland is on course to receive 2,850,000 doses.
Biontech/pfizer
This is an Rna-based vaccine which requires two doses. It is currently considered a front runner after Pfizer reported 95% efficacy in its BNT162B2 vaccine, with no serious safety concerns observed. The efficacy in adults over 65 years of age was over 94%, said the firm. One of the major concerns raised around this vaccine is the fact that it must be stored between -70C and -80C and the logistical challenges of cold-chain distribution and storage by the likes of GPS who will play a major role in the delivery of the vaccination programme. The timescale to deliver this vaccine will be a challenge as there is only a short window of up to five days for it to be administered once it has defrosted. The current trials have also not formally proved whether the vaccine prevents transmission of the virus, as opposed to merely stopping infected people from falling ill. It costs about £15 per vaccine. Northern Ireland is on course to receive 1,140,000 doses.
Sanofi-gsk
Sanofi-gsk hopes to have this vaccine ready for the second half of next year and plans to produce one billion doses in 2021. They have said they intend to make available 200 million doses of their adjuvanted recombinant proteinbased Covid-19 vaccine, if approved by regulatory authorities. The vaccine is intended as a two-dose product. Sanofi and GSK initiated a phase one/two study in September with a total of 440 subjects enrolled, and they anticipate first results in early December. This will then support the initiation of a pivotal phase three study before the end of the year. The UK Government has already secured access to 60 million doses, meaning Northern Ireland is on track to receive 1,710,000 doses.
Novavax
The biotech company announced yesterday that it has completed UK enrolment of its 15,000-participant trial for its NVX-COV2373 vaccine. The Novavax phase three trial will focus on the vaccine’s effectiveness, with further checks on safety in a larger population. This follows earlier, smaller studies in Australia and South Africa — the phase one study showed that the vaccine was generally well-tolerated and was able to trigger significant antibody responses. Interim data from the phase three study is expected as soon as the first quarter of 2021. There have been some positive reports about the vaccine. However, others are sceptical — not least because while Novavax has focused on making vaccines for more than 20 years, it has never brought one to market. Northern Ireland is on course to receive 1,710,000 doses.
Janssen
In September, Janssen announced the launch of its large-scale, multi-country phase three trial for its Covid-19 vaccine candidate, JNJ-78436735. Trials, involving 65,000 people, suffered a temporary setback last month when a participant suffered an unexplained illness. Trials have since resumed because no vaccine link with the illness was found but stage three results are not ready yet. The firm aims to produce one billion doses in 2021 once it moves beyond stage three trials and approval. It has pledged 500 million of these doses to low-income countries. The Janssen product is a single-jab trial. It can be stored in a normal fridge for up to three months. Northern Ireland is on track to receive 855,000 doses.
● Northern Ireland doses are based on the Barnett formula, which sees 2.85% of UK supply allocated here.