AstraZeneca resumes COVID-19 vaccine trial

AstraZeneca announced the company will restart its experimental coronavirus vaccine trial. Yahoo Finance’s Anjalee Khemlani shares the details.

Video Transcript

ADAM SHAPIRO: Protecting life on Earth is the goal of several companies trying to develop vaccines to prevent the COVID-19 disease, the coronavirus. Let's bring Anjalee Khemlani because we've had some news over the weekend that everyone should be paying attention to from both AstraZeneca and Pfizer. What can you tell us?

ANJALEE KHEMLANI: That's right, Adam. So from AstraZeneca, as we know, last week there was a pause on that late stage trial, that critical one that will bring us information on whether or not this vaccine is safe and effective. That was put on hold based on a participant in the UK having some unrelated illnesses as a result.

They have resumed that trial, but unfortunately, it triggered sort of a global pause until they had figured out what was going on. And so that, we're waiting-- I know the CEO has said that they're in touch with all of the other [? sites ?] and are looking to restart trials elsewhere as well. This does not affect the timeline too much, still expecting a vaccine by the end of this year.

Meanwhile, Pfizer, as we have come to know, is one of the more aggressive ones predicting that they will have efficacy results by the end of October, but recently said that they will not have it in time for an independent group that is going to be discussing vaccines with the FDA and others on October 22. In that last week it looks like they are pushing for.

ADAM SHAPIRO: OK. Anjalee Khemlani, thank.