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Johnson & Johnson pauses coronavirus vaccine trials after unexplained illness
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Johnson & Johnson pauses coronavirus vaccine trials after unexplained illness ”
Such pauses not uncommon; ‘careful review’ to take place before late-stage study resumes
Johnson & Johnson has paused clinical trials for its COVID-19 vaccine candidate after an unexplained illness by a participant
The drug maker announced Monday night that the 60,000-patient, late-stage trials have been put on hold and enrollment has been halted, citing “an unexplained illness in a study participant.”
J&J
JNJ, +0.57%
noted that such pauses “are not uncommon in clinical trials,” and said there would be “a careful review of all of the medical information before deciding whether to restart the study.”
Rival AstraZeneca
AZN, +1.00%
paused the late-stage trials of its coronavirus vaccine candidate in early September after an unexplained illness by a participant in the U.K. Regulators in the U.K., Brazil, India and South Africa have since allowed AstraZeneca’s trials to resume, though it remains on hold in the U.S. as the Food and Drug Administration has widened its investigation.
There are seven coronavirus candidates being tested in the U.S., with at least four moving to late-stage trials.
Johnson & Johnson shares are up 4% year to date, compared to the S&P 500’s
SPX, +1.64%
9% gain.