Argentina to produce COVID-19 vaccine with AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford

By Estudio Chaloupka

Argentina and Mexico will produce between 150 million and 250 million doses of AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford's adenovirus-based vaccine at no profit starting in the first half of 2021.

The University of Oxford is working with the United Kingdom-based global biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca for the further development, large-scale manufacture and potential distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine, with plans for clinical development and production of the Oxford vaccine progressing globally. The project has been further spurred by UK’s Government funding to help accelerate the vaccine’s development.

Oxford and AstraZeneca are collaborating with clinical partners around the world as part of a global clinical programme to trial the Oxford vaccine. The global programme is made up of a Phase III trial in the US enrolling 30,000 patients, a paediatric study, as well as Phase III trials in low-to-middle income countries including Brazil and South Africa which are already underway.

The latest study of the vaccine, on July 20, 2020, provoked a T cell response within 14 days of vaccination (white blood cells that can attack cells infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus), and an antibody response within 28 days (antibodies are able to neutralise the virus so that it cannot infect cells when initially contracted).

“We saw the strongest immune response in the 10 participants who received two doses of the vaccine, indicating that this might be a good strategy for vaccination,” said Professor Andrew Pollard, Chief investigator of the Oxford Vaccine Trial at Oxford University.