AstraZeneca resumes US Covid-19 vaccine trial, optimism seen for J&J

AstraZeneca Plc has resumed the US trial of its experimental Covid-19 vaccine after approval by US regulators, the company said on Friday.

AstraZeneca's US trial was paused on September 6 after a report of a serious neurological illness, believed to be transverse myelitis, in a participant in the company's UK trial.

US Health and Human Services Deputy Chief of Staff Paul Mango also told reporters he was optimistic a US trial by Johnson & Johnson would resume.

J&J paused its large, late-stage trial last week after a study participant became ill and the company said an independent safety panel was investigating.

AstraZeneca trials in the United Kingdom, Brazil and South Africa resumed last month even as the US Food and Drug Administration continued its investigation into the case.

Reuters earlier this week reported that the FDA had completed its review and that the AstraZeneca US trial was set to resume as early as this week, citing four sources familiar with the situation.

AstraZeneca's vaccine is being developed along with researchers at Oxford University.