The drug, which is produced by Sanofi and Regeneron, will cease to continue with the drug after failing COVID-19 treatment trials. The drug will now be removed from major studies, French drugmaker Sanofi has confirmed. It had been hoped the drug which is used for rheumatoid arthritis could be used as a possible treatment against COVID-19 earlier this summer before failing the latest batch of trials. Sanofi’s Global Head of Research and Development John Reed said: “Although this trial did not yield the results we hoped for, we are proud of the work that was achieved by the team to further our understanding of the potential use of Kevzara for the treatment of COVID-19.”
Currently, there are several vaccines in production across the globe with the UK also establishing, the Vaccine Taskfroce to develop a possible drug.
However, some have now warned the rush to immunise the population could in fact increase the risk of the pandemic.
Published in the Lancet medical journal, professor Andrew Pollard, the director of the Oxford Vaccine Group warned an inadequate vaccine is worse than no vaccine.
He said: “Deployment of a weakly effective vaccine could actually worsen the Covid-19 pandemic if authorities wrongly assume it causes a substantial reduction in risk, or if vaccinated individuals wrongly believe they are immune, hence reducing implementation of, or compliance with, other Covid-19 control measures.”
The group has also advised all scientists to adhere to the World Health Organisation’s guidance on vaccines.
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7.23am update: Coronavirus vaccine fails trials
Drugmakers, Sanofi and Regeneron have announced the failure of the potential coronavirus vaccine, Kevzara.
The drug which is used to treat, rheumatoid arthritis, will not proceed in further clinical trials after showing adverse effects on patients.
John Reed, Sanofi’s Global Head of Research and Development said: “Although this trial did not yield the results we hoped for, we are proud of the work that was achieved by the team to further our understanding of the potential use of Kevzara for the treatment of COVID-19.
“At Sanofi, we are committed to help combat the global COVID-19 pandemic, including developing vaccine candidates that can be manufactured at large scale.”
