University of Oxford launches Covid-19 partnership with AstraZeneca

The University of Oxford will work with big pharma company AstraZeneca on the development of a potential Covid-19 vaccine which is currently being trialled by the university.

Developed by the University’s Jenner Institute, the vaccine candidate is now being trialled in humans in a study involving 510 volunteers.

The vaccine candidate, named ChAdOx1, is an adenovirus vaccine vector chosen as the most suitable vaccine technology as it’s able to generate a strong immune response from one dose. More so, since the vaccine is not a replicating virus, it cannot cause an ongoing infection making it safer to give children, the elderly, and those with pre-existing conditions.

The partnership between the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca is the first to be formed since the government launched its Vaccines Taskforce. The project is receiving £20 million government funding for Oxford University’s vaccine research and support for the institution’s clinical trials.

If the vaccine candidate is successful, AstraZeneca will work with other partners on the international distribution of the vaccine, with an aim to make it available and accessible for low-and-medium income countries.

Both partners will operate on a not-for-profit basis for the duration of the Covid-19 pandemic, with only the costs of production and distribution being covered. Likewise, any royalties the university receives will be reinstated back into medical research, including a new Pandemic Preparedness and Vaccine Research Centre.  

Professor Sir John Bell, Regius professor of Medicine at Oxford University, said: “Our partnership with AstraZeneca will be a major force in the struggle against pandemics for many years to come. We believe that together we will be in a strong position to start immunising against coronavirus once we have an effective approved vaccine. Sadly, the risk of new pandemics will always be with us and the new research centre will enhance the world’s preparedness and our speed of reaction the next time we face such a challenge.”

Health secretary Matt Hancock said: “Across government, we are working night and day to stop the spread of coronavirus and protect our NHS. But in the long run, a vaccine remains our best hope of defeating this virus for good. So I am determined to do everything in my power to develop an effective vaccine and get it to the people of the UK as soon as possible. I want the UK to lead the world in developing a coronavirus vaccine - and I will back our scientists to the hilt in doing so.”

Pascal Soriot, chief executive officer, AstraZeneca, added: “As Covid-19 continues its grip on the world, the need for a vaccine to defeat the virus is urgent. This collaboration brings together University of Oxford’s world-class expertise in vaccinology and AstraZeneca’s global development, manufacturing and distribution capabilities. Our hope is that, by joining forces, we can accelerate the globalisation of a vaccine to combat the virus and protect people from the deadliest pandemic in a generation.”