AstraZeneca Resumes Vaccine Trial in Japan; U.S. Still on Hold

(Bloomberg) -- A vaccine trial for a front-runner Covid-19 shot from AstraZeneca Plc and the University of Oxford restarted in Japan after studies were halted globally last month when a U.K. participant became ill.

The phase I-II trials resumed after the Japanese regulator gave the go-ahead, according to a statement from AstraZeneca Friday. Studies in the U.K., Brazil, South Africa and India have also restarted in recent weeks.

The news follows the European regulator's decision this week to begin an accelerated review of the potential shot, a move that could pave the way for the vaccine to become the first in the region to win approval. The “rolling review” allows regulators to see clinical data in real-time so that a vaccine or drug can be brought to the market more quickly if successful.

The British pharmaceutical company and university are still waiting for trials to resume in the U.S.

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