A Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine was found to be safe and generate an immune response in early studies, showing promising signs as the study progresses.
The results published Wednesday in The New England Journal of Medicine come from early-stage studies. The more convincing results on the vaccine’s effectiveness are yet to come in a phase three trial, which the company said could be available on Wednesday, “in late January.”
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine would be a crucial addition to the two already approved vaccines in that more doses would be available and only one injection would be required, instead of the two needed for Pfizer’s and Moderna.
The results of the early studies released Wednesday showed that all of the trial participants had developed neutralizing antibodies to the virus by Day 57, and 90 percent had them by Day 29.
The vaccine was also found to be safe, with some common side effects such as fatigue and headaches.
Paul Stoeffels, the company’s Chief Scientific Officer, told CNBC that the results show that the vaccine releases “durable antibodies” and gives the company “confidence” that it will be highly effective.
Still, The New York Times reported on Tuesday that the company has encountered manufacturing problems and that a plan for 12 million doses by the end of February may not be released until April.