A senior official at Oxford University said Wednesday that good news can be expected regarding a coronavirus vaccine being developed at the university in partnership with AstraZeneca.
"I hear there will be positive news soon (probably tomorrow) about the coronavirus vaccine trials," ITV's political editor Robert Peston reported Wednesday afternoon.
According to the report, the vaccine now being tested has successfully generated the type of antibody and T-cell response researchers had been hoping for.
The new vaccine's ability to stimulate the production of both T-cells and antibodies is a major step forward towards the development of an effective vaccine against the coronavirus, setting it apart from other vaccines under development.
But the efficacy of the antibodies and T-cells created by the vaccine still must be tested in the large phase three program now under way in Brazil.
That test will be used to assess both the vaccine's efficacy and its safety.
“An important point to keep in mind is that there are two dimensions to the immune response: antibodies and T-cells," and official who spoke on condition of anonymity told ITV.
“Everybody is focused on antibodies but there is a growing body of evidence suggesting that the T-cells response is important in the defense against coronavirus."