LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — COVID vaccine-maker AstraZeneca on Tuesday revealed it had hit a setback in trials of a treatment for the coronavirus.
The drug, made from a combination of two antibodies, failed its main goal to treat COVID19 symptoms in exposed patients, AstraZeneca said in a statement.
The treatment has been undergoing phase 3 or final clinical trials to assess its safety and efficacy.
AstraZeneca said that 1,121 unvaccinated adults had been exposed to an infected person as part of the trial.
Treatment AZD7442 reduced the risk of developing symptoms by only 33 per cent — which was “not statistically significant”, it added.
The company is nevertheless continuing trials to assess whether the drug can prevent COVID or treat more severe symptoms.
The US government has funded the development of AZD7442 and has agreements to receive 700,000 doses.