One-shot coronavirus vaccine from Johnson & Johnson and Beth Israel up next

Johnson & Johnson — aided by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center — is giving the world a one-shot option to the coronavirus.

The company announced Friday a single shot is 66% effective at preventing moderate to severe COVID-19, and much more protective — 85% — against the most serious symptoms.

In a nationwide coronavirus update, Dr. Anthony Fauci called the results of the Johnson & Johnson trial “very encouraging,” and said even though the vaccine showed a lower efficacy compared to the more than 90% efficacy shown in Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccine trials, its efficacy for severe disease was solid.

“We have now a value-added additional vaccine candidate,” Fauci said, noting it will still need to be presented to the FDA for emergency use authorization.

“This has important, potential and real implications both domestically and globally, because as many of you are aware of, this is a single-shot vaccine, in which you start to see efficacy anywhere from seven to 10 days following the first and only shot,” Fauci said. “It is very, very good with regard to cold-chain requirements, namely requiring only a refrigerator is inexpensive, and the company is capable of making doses in the numbers of billions.”

Johnson & Johnson CEO Alex Gorsky said he was “proud to have reached this critical milestone and our commitment to address this global health crisis continues with urgency for everyone, everywhere.”

Paul Stoffels, chief scientific officer at Johnson & Johnson, said, “A one-shot vaccine is considered by the World Health Organization to be the best option in pandemic settings, enhancing access, distribution and compliance.”

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine also doesn’t need to be kept in a deep freeze and can last months in a refrigerator.

“Frankly, simple is beautiful,” said Dr. Matt Hepburn, the U.S. government’s COVID-19 vaccine response leader.

Johnson & Johnson plans to seek emergency use authorization in the U.S. within a week. It expects to supply 100 million doses to the U.S. by June — and a billion doses globally by year’s end — but declined to say how much could be ready if the Food and Drug Administration gives the green light.

The findings, based on Phase 3 clinical trials conducted in eight countries across three continents, applied to all participants from different geographies and included those infected with an emerging viral variant, according to Johnson & Johnson.

Material from State House News Service and the Associated Press was used in this report.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/2NJ4AVP