AstraZeneca to publish full trial data after U.S. health agency criticism

AstraZeneca announced plans to publish up-to-date results from its U.S. COVID-19 vaccine trial within 48 hours after health officials from the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) criticized the drugmaker for using what it said was outdated information to demonstrate the efficacy of its immunization.

The drugmaker says that the data it published was based on an interim analysis of data through Feb 17. and it would immediately engage with the independent panel monitoring the trial to share the full analysis. AstraZeneca's data in question showed that the vaccine was 79% effective at stopping symptomatic illness. The data also showed the shot was 100% effective against severe or critical forms of the disease and posed no increased risk of blood clots.

AstraZeneca has followed up by claiming that it had reviewed the preliminary assessment of its primary analysis and found it to be consistent with the interim report.

Additionally, the Washington Post reported that the data monitoring panel told federal officials they had seen data that showed the vaccine might be 69% to 74% effective.

Read the Reuters report