AstraZeneca partner takes nasal COVID-19 vaccine into phase 1

The University of Oxford has begun a phase 1 clinical trial of a nasal spray formulation of its AstraZeneca-partnered COVID-19 vaccine.

A clutch of biotechs is working on next-generation nasal and oral COVID-19 vaccines. Some of those candidates entered the clinic months ahead of the Oxford formulation, but the involvement of the researchers behind one of the first COVID-19 vaccines to come to market, at least outside of the U.S., marks a new phase in the move beyond needle-based delivery.