Scientists in North America and Europe are in the early stages of research into modifications to Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines that could reduce the risk of blood clots, according to the Wall Street Journal.
These vaccines pose a risk for blood clots because antibodies they induce attach to proteins involved in clotting, explained a study published the Nature science journal. Incidents of blot clots due to the vaccines are dangerous but “incredibly rare,” according to Science News.
Related
Out of 100,000 people who receive the AstraZeneca vaccine 1 to 2 experience a condition called vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia, characterized by blood clotting and low platelets, according to European and U.K. data cited in the Wall Street Journal. In the U.S., the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has a lower rate of the complication, around .3 incidents per 100,000 people.
Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca are working with researchers from the University of Oxford and other scientists to reduce this risk further with potential modifications to the vaccines, said the Wall Street Journal. Findings from the study published in Nature could help researchers and doctors rapidly test and treat unusual clotting, but more research is needed regarding whether the culprit is one or more ingredients in the vaccines, the purification process, or a mechanical element of how the vaccines work in the body.
Researchers hope to identify the exact cause of vaccine related clots and re-engineer the AstraZeneca vaccine by next year. However, the Wall Street Journal said it is too early to tell if this is possible or if it would make commercial sense.
“Apart from the scientific hurdles, modifications might require changes to ownership rights or regulatory approvals,” said the outlet. Even so, modifications could help the companies eventually make a profit on the vaccines.
Related
Use of Johnson & Johnson was halted in April due to concerns about clotting, but resumed with a warning on the vaccine. Though used widely throughout the world, the AstraZeneca vaccine is not approved for use in the U.S.
Both vaccines use adenoviruses – harmless viruses that can be used to carry instructions – and can be stored at normal refrigeration temperatures, unlike the extra cold temperatures needed for the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines.
In addition to the blood clotting issue, the Food and Drug Administration announced Monday that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine (the only single-shot COVID-19 vaccine available) would carry a new warning about the serious but rare side effect of Guillain-Barré syndrome, which causes the immune system attacks the nerves. Around 100 cases of the syndrome were found after 12.8 million doses of the vaccine were administered, said the Washington Post.
Related
