Lundquist Institute to start Phase III trial of AZ1222

The Los Angeles, USA-based Lundquist Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and UCLA Medical Center in Westwood will soon begin recruiting volunteers for Phase III trials of a new investigational COVID-19 vaccine with the first dose expected to be administered in early September.

The vaccine, developed by Oxford University and the UK’s AstraZeneca (LSE: AZN) and dubbed AZD1222, has already gone through early trials. It is seen as among the most promising of the vaccine candidates currently in testing, with AstraZeneca having entered into a number of supply agreements for the product once it gains regulatory approval, including with the European Commission for 400 million doses.

This Phase III study is designed to determine whether the vaccine can prevent symptomatic COVID-19 after two doses. The study aims to enroll 30,000 volunteers across the USA. It is important to note that this vaccine does not have a live virus and cannot give a person COVID-19. If the results from the trial are positive, the vaccine could be made available to the public to prevent disease.