Coronavirus vaccine update: Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca nearing end of trial

Coronavirus Update New Jersey

Wednesday, January 27, 2021

Hope on the horizon as two more vaccines nearing end of trial

While the push is on to get more of the COVID-19 vaccine, there is some hope on the horizon as both Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca are nearing the end of their vaccine trials.

NEW JERSEY (WABC) -- While the push is on to get more of the COVID-19 vaccine, there is some hope on the horizon.

Johnson & Johnson is getting closer to seeking emergency FDA approval for its vaccine which could be a big boost to the supply. It even has some advantages over the others.

"Single dose, that's the big deal," said Dr. Jeffrey Carson with Rutgers Biomedical Health Sciences. "It's so much easier to manage vaccinating a population of patients if you only have to give one dose instead of two doses.

Carson is running the trials of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on 45,000 people worldwide. He also added it doesn't have to be frozen at super low temperatures.

"We need multiple vaccines and I think this vaccine has the potential to have a profound impact on our ability to vaccinate a large number of people and to finally get the pandemic under control," Carson said.

As would be expected, anticipation for the vaccine is high to pick up the pace of immunization.

"Additional manufacturers like Johnson & Johnson will likely be approved in the coming weeks adding to our vaccine supply," said New Jersey Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli.

Johnson & Johnson could seek emergency use approval from the FDA by the end of next week.

Meanwhile, at NYU Langone Health, the AstraZeneca trial is nearing an end. Many trial participants are New Yorkers.

"This is our hope to have return of normalcy in the next year or two," said Dr. Tina Wu.

The trial, run by NYU Langone, features a vaccine that is cheaper than others at only $3 or $4 a dose. And massive amounts could be ready soon.

"And it's one that can be manufactured in high numbers, 3 billion doses they say they can make this year," said Dr. Mark Muligan.

Muligan said 35% of the participants are African-American, Hispanic and Native Americans. He says it is important to understand this is a worldwide push and there must be a global perspective.

"As long as there is virus somewhere, there's risk of more disease here," Muligan said.

The leaders of both the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson trials are anxious to look at the trial data to make sure the vaccines are effective and get them to the market as soon as possible.