Packing for AstraZeneca trial vaccines. Phot: Vincenzo Pinto/AFP via Getty Images
AstraZeneca announced on Saturday it's resuming its COVID-19 vaccine trials after pausing earlier this week when a participant fell ill.
The state of play: A statement from AstraZeneca says the Medicines Health Regulatory Authority approved the company's vaccine trials through the University of Oxford to continue.
- AstraZeneca added that it will "continue to work with health authorities across the world and be guided as to when other clinical trials can resume to provide the vaccine broadly, equitably and at no profit during this pandemic."
- The patient who was negatively impacted by the vaccine reportedly suffered a neurological reaction.
- Statements from AstraZeneca and Oxford didn’t reveal anything about the status of tests beyond the U.K.
The big picture: A number of coronavirus vaccines are in phase 3 trials, but AstraZeneca remains a frontrunner. The company says it hopes to complete its vaccine by year's end.