AstraZeneca CEO Says COVID-19 Vaccine Patient Experienced Serious Spinal Issues

AstraZeneca has provided more details on reasons for pausing its COVID vaccine study.

As StatNews reports, the participant who triggered the global trial shutdown was a woman in the United Kingdom who experienced neurological symptoms consistent with a rare but serious spinal inflammatory disorder called transverse myelitis, the drug maker’s chief executive, Pascal Soriot, said during a private conference call with investors on Wednesday morning.

Soriot went on to say that while the woman’s diagnosis has not been confirmed yet, she is improving and will likely be discharged from the hospital as early as Wednesday.

Additionally, Soriot confirmed that the company’s clinical trial had been halted once previously in July after a participant experienced neurological symptoms; that participant was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, deemed to be unrelated to the vaccine treatment

After ramping overnight to erase the losses, AZN shares are sliding back on these new revelations…

Of course, while this is likely doing nothing to instill confidence in a vaccine-ready public, the broad market doesn’t care today.