Vaccine expert flags uncertainty around required efficacy levels for COVID-19 vaccines - SVB Leerink

Vaccinex

24/09/2020 13:23

** Dr. Stanley Plotkin, a physician whose research
contributed to the development of rubella vaccine, suggested
that it was a bit too optimistic for the first generation of
COVID-19 vaccines to reach the 60-70% efficacy levels needed to
contain the COVID-19 pandemic for a long term - SVB Leerink says
    ** It remains unclear what level of antibodies appear to be
protective against the coronavirus despite anecdotal data being
presented by different companies, Dr. Plotkin says according to
the brokerage
    ** One way to assess the required antibody levels is through
large observational studies, where investigators follow an
immunized population for a period of time to see the protection
rates at given levels, brokerage says
    ** If higher levels are required it could significantly
delay vaccine development - SVB Leerink
    ** Separately, U.S. President Donald Trump said he may or
may not approve any new, more stringent FDA standards for
emergency authorization of a COVID-19 vaccine, that could
require manufacturers to follow trial participants for a median
of at least two months after they receive a second vaccine shot
 urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL2N2GK2RW
    ** COVID-19 vaccine developers including Moderna Inc
 MRNA.O , Inovio Pharma  INO.O , Vaxart Inc  VXRT.O  and
Vaccinex Inc  VCNX.O  were down between 0.5% and 7% in premarket
trading 

 (Reporting by Manojna Maddipatla in Bengaluru)
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