AstraZeneca has signed an agreement with the University of Oxford to develop and distribute the university’s Covid-19 vaccine candidate, ChAdOx1 nCoV-19.
The recombinant adenovirus vaccine, being developed by Jenner Institute and Oxford Vaccine Group at the university, uses a viral vector based on a weakened version of the common cold with the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein’s genetic material.
Upon vaccination, the surface spike protein is generated, which induces the immune system to attack SARS-CoV-2 if the virus later infects the body.
Oxford University medicine professor John Bell said: “Our partnership with AstraZeneca will be a major force in the struggle against pandemics for many years to come.