Sanofi, GlaxoSmithKline Report Positive Trial Results of COVID-19 Vaccine

A COVID-19 vaccine from drugmakers Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline produced antibody responses on par with those who experienced natural infection, the companies said in early clinical results, paving the way for a late-stage trial in the coming weeks.

The companies said the recombinant DNA vaccine exhibited no safety problems in a randomized, double-blind study involving more than 700 people ages 18 and older in the U.S. and Honduras.

Participants showed robust antibody levels after two doses, with higher levels observed in those ages 18 to 59.

People who were previously infected by the coronavirus produced high levels after a single injection, giving the companies hope that their vaccine could serve as an effective booster.

The drugmakers plan to enroll more than 35,000 adults in multiple countries to test the shots against the original strain and the variant first detected in South Africa.

Several COVID-19 vaccines are circulating now, though scientists say it is good to employ multiple options to bolster supply and have a range of vaccine to grapple with the virus.

Sanofi’s recombinant technology inserts genetic information for the coronavirus directly into insect cells, so they can grow proteins that match features of the virus’s trademark spike and teach the body to attack it.