Possible New Links Between AstraZeneca Vaccine and Blood Clots Found
(Bloomberg) -- Scientists have identified a possible reason the AstraZeneca Plc Covid-19 vaccine may cause blood clots, after use of the shot was limited globally to prevent the rare side effect.
The preclinical research, conducted with Astra, found the interaction between the vaccine and a protein known as platelet factor 4 could be behind the cases of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances by scientists from U.S. and U.K. universities, as well as Astra. The research is not definitive, the company said.
The Astra vaccine, co-developed with the University of Oxford, has been hampered globally by a possible link between the shot and rare cases of blood clots, with the U.K. limiting its use to those over 40 and the U.S. yet to authorize the vaccine. In May, German scientists published a hypothesis that the side effect was linked to the adenovirus vector the inoculation uses.
The clots have been more common after a first dose than second, with 426 cases reported to the U.K. regulator as of Nov. 17 from more than 24 million first and second shots given.
“Although the research is not definitive, it offers interesting insights, and AstraZeneca is exploring ways to leverage these findings as part of our efforts to remove this extremely rare side effect,” the company said in a statement.
The company highlighted that the mechanism identified does not demonstrate it is the cause of the rare thrombosis and most individuals who have PF4 antibodies will not develop clots. The risk of blood clots is also much higher from Covid-19 than any of the vaccines.
©2021 Bloomberg L.P.
-
Opinion | India at 38: From Innovation Overperformer to Innovation Powerhouse
India now has 453 VC-backed deep science startups, 18 of them late-stage, after 117 percent growth since 2020. Laurus Labs, at USD 9.3 billion, is the most valuable deep science company in any middle-income economy outside China.
-
Navigating Energy Crossroads: S Jaishankar's Call For Diversified Supply Chains At G20 Ministerial Meeting
As geopolitical fault lines continue to test maritime trade routes and commodity flows, Jaishankar's message remains pertinent: true economic resilience requires open markets, protected transit lines, and a genuine commitment to multilateral cooperation rather than coercion.
-
Indians Are Travelling, But Not Every Journey Is A Holiday | The Week In Whys
Pilgrims, patients and working women are the real travellers, and the system hasn't quite caught up with them.
-
Getting To Work Costs Women More | The Reason Why
It is not just about women paying more than men. It is about women paying much more in cities than in villages.
-
AI Bias In Investing Cannot Be Eliminated, But It Can Be Governed
Framing is a particularly important example as identical financial information presented in terms of gains rather than losses can lead an LLM to reach a different assessment.
-
Joining The Dots | Dark Skies, Steady Diya: Why Hope Holds This Diwali
With war, a weak rupee and foreign outflows weighing on sentiment, policymakers at the NDTV World Summit and market veterans at NDTV Profit Ignite: Diwali Edition offered the same advice: stay invested and filter out the noise.
-
The Curious Case of Equitas Small Finance Bank And A CEO Who Quit For Stock
PN Vasudevan believes persistent investor concerns over a perceived conflict of interest had become a governance overhang on Equitas Small Finance Bank's stock, even as the lender improved profitability and asset quality.
-
Talking Points This Week: AI Cash Burn, A Tiger Comeback And An India That Still Finds Its Own Path
India is not immune to higher oil or tighter global liquidity, yet its earnings base is broader, its domestic policy levers are still available.
-
Foreign Investors Own Half Of HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank. An LTCG Cut Could Matter Most Here
Foreign portfolio investors have US$115 billion parked in HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank. If the government cuts long-term capital gains tax, Jefferies says returning foreign money could land here first.
