Filenews 11 August 2021
The results of a phase 1 study published in the international reputable journal "the Lancet Infectious Diseases" show that an inhaled adenovirus-paired COVID-19 vaccine (Ad5-nCoV) was well tolerated and had a similar antibody response and cellular immunity to intramuscular vaccination.
The Doctors of the Therapeutic Clinic of the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Theodora Psaltopoulou, Panos Malandrakis, Giannis Danasis and Thanos Dimopoulos (Rector of ekpa) summarize the relevant publication.
The analysis included 130 participants randomized to one of five groups, intramuscular vaccination (one or two doses), inhaled vaccination (high or lower dose, in two doses), or both (initially one intramuscular dose and one inhaled aid dose).
The primary safety point was the occurrence of adverse reactions seven days after vaccination. With regard to immunity, the aim was to measure IgG antibodies against sars-coV-2 spike protein and neutralising antibodies against the virus 28 days after the last dose. The most common side effects described were fever, fatigue and headache, and were more common in those receiving intramuscular administration of the vaccine.
A dose of inhaled vaccine, equivalent to one fifth of the intramuscular dose, induces strong immunity, while after two inhaled doses the tinge of neutralizing antibodies reached similar levels to those, which induces an intramuscular dose. Thus, the authors conclude that the inhaled Ad5-nCoV vaccine needs more studies to confirm its safety and efficacy.
