Oxford - Oxford Biomedica plc (LSE: OXB) ('Oxford Biomedica' or 'the Group'), a leading gene and cell therapy group, notes AstraZeneca PLC ('AstraZeneca') announced AZD1222 met primary efficacy endpoint in preventing COVID-19.

Key highlights from the announcement were as follows: Two different dosing regimens demonstrated efficacy with one showing a better profile

No hospitalisations or severe cases of COVID-19 in participants treated with AZD1222

One dosing regimen (n=2,741) showed vaccine efficacy of 90% when AZD1222 was given as a half dose followed by a full dose at least one month apart, and another dosing regimen (n=8,895) showed 62% efficacy when given two full doses at least one month apart

No serious safety events related to the vaccine have been confirmed

AstraZeneca will now immediately prepare regulatory submission of data to authorities around the world that have a framework in place for conditional or early approval

As announced on 1 September, Oxford Biomedica signed an 18 month supply agreement under a three year Master Supply and Development Agreement with AstraZeneca for large-scale commercial manufacture of their COVID-19 vaccine candidate, AZD1222. Under the terms of the agreement, AstraZeneca paid Oxford Biomedica GBP15 million upfront as a capacity reservation fee and the Group expects additionally to receive in excess of GBP35 million for large-scale manufacture of multiple batches of ADZ1222 until the end of 2021 subject to continuation of the programme. (LINK)

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About Oxford Biomedica

Oxford Biomedica (LSE: OXB) is a leading, fully integrated, gene and cell therapy group focused on developing life changing treatments for serious diseases. Oxford Biomedica and its subsidiaries (the 'Group') have built a sector leading lentiviral vector delivery platform (LentiVector), which the Group leverages to develop in vivo and ex vivo products both in-house and with partners. The Group has created a valuable proprietary portfolio of gene and cell therapy product candidates in the areas of oncology, ophthalmology, CNS disorders, liver diseases and respiratory disease. The Group has also entered into a number of partnerships, including with Novartis, Bristol Myers Squibb, Sanofi, Sio Gene Therapies, Orchard Therapeutics, Santen, Beam Therapeutics, Boehringer Ingelheim, the UK Cystic Fibrosis Gene Therapy Consortium and Imperial Innovations, through which it has long-term economic interests in other potential gene and cell therapy products. Additionally the group has signed a 3 year master supply and development agreement with AstraZeneca for large-scale manufacturing of the adenoviral based COVID-19 vaccine candidate, AZD1222. Oxford Biomedica is based across several locations in Oxfordshire, UK and employs more than 580 people.

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