AstraZeneca's suspension of global trials of its coronavirus vaccine dubbed AZD1222 triggered a 2 percent drop in its shares in London and a 12 plunge in the stock price of its Indian unit, AstraZeneca Pharma India Ltd.
The company is developing the AZD1222 vaccine with the University of Oxford.
The suspension, which dimmed the company's prospect of an early rollout, was necessary to review safety data after an unexplained illness in a participant.
AstraZeneca said that the suspension was routine every time there is a potentially unexplained illness in the trials.
The company is working to expedite the review to minimize any potential impact on the trial timeline.
The decision on restarting the trial will be taken by the medical regulator, the MHRA, that would take only days.
According to a New York Times report, citing a person familiar with the situation, the UK-based participant was found to have transverse myelitis, an inflammation that affects the spinal cord and is often sparked by viral infections.
Whether the condition was directly linked to AZD1222 remains unclear.
The AZD1222 has been described by the World Health Organization (WHO) as probably the world’s leading and the most advanced vaccine.
The vaccine is in late-stage clinical trials in the US, the UK, Brazil, and South Africa.
Additional trials are planned in Russia and Japan, targetting up to 50,000 participants globally.
The participant's reaction to AZD1222 has impacted clinical trials by other vaccine makers, which are on the lookout for similar reactions.


Air Liquide Q2 Sales Growth Tops Forecast as Electronics Business Drives Strong Performance
Philips Shares Slide 10% Despite Earnings Beat as Weak Orders Raise Growth Concerns
ASML, Applied Materials Slide as China DUV Chip Equipment Breakthrough Sparks Market Jitters
Galp Shares Fall After Q2 EBITDA Miss Despite Profit Beat and Higher Dividend
Zhongji Innolight Raises $6.8 Billion in Hong Kong IPO as AI Demand Fuels Growth
Stellantis Sells Free2move Car-Sharing Business to Mutares to Strengthen Core Auto Strategy
Zabka Shares Drop 10% as Seven & i Abandons Investment Plans
TSMC Gradually Restarts Japan Chip Plant After Kumamoto Earthquake
Standard Chartered Beats Profit Forecasts as First-Half Earnings Rise 9%
CXMT IPO Debut in Shanghai Puts $85.5 Billion Chipmaker in Spotlight
Nvidia Eyes $250B Guarantee for OpenAI’s Massive Ohio AI Data Center Project
CATL Shares Jump as $5.6 Billion Buyback Signals Confidence in Long-Term Growth
BHP, Port Hedland Unions Fail to Reach Wage Deal as Negotiations Continue
AstraZeneca Q2 Earnings Beat Forecasts as Oncology Growth Supports 2026 Outlook
Seagate Stock Jumps as AI-Fueled Earnings Beat and Strong FY2027 Outlook Impress Investors
Barclays Q2 Profit Beats Forecasts as Investment Banking Strength Offsets Higher Costs
Unilever Raises 2026 Sales Outlook After Strong Q2 Volume Growth 



