AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot explained that his company is developing an alternative to a coronavirus vaccine currently. While speaking with ITV’s Robert Peston Mr Soriot noted that his companies alternative may not be available until 2021 and this may only be slightly sooner than the development of a coronavirus vaccine. He added, the medical community is not sure whether these vaccines will be effective against coronavirus and his companies cure may prove to be a good alternative in a worst-case scenario.

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Mr Peston asked: “When do you think you might be able to move from the development stage to people being able to use this monoclonal antibody treatment.

Mr Soriot replied: “We are hoping to have finished our key development by early next year and be able to submit the regulatory authorities.

“Then it will become a question of how quickly they review the application as a full product.

“So it could be as fast or possibly faster than the vaccine developments.”

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Mr Peston then asked for clarification on the timeline of the coronavirus vaccine development and AstraZenaca’s vaccine alternative.

Mr Peston asked: “So are we looking well into next year before it is widely available?”

Mr Soriot replied: “Absolutely, unfortunately, there are many vaccines in development and we don’t know if they will work.

“If they don’t work, our antibody could be an alternative approach that could be faster.

“But in any case, we have to wait until next year.”

The pharmacy boss noted one of the issues with coronavirus was the massive toll it takes on the lungs.

He continued to explain that one of the drug tests his company is currently doing is to prevent this from happening, to ensure patients do not need to use a ventilator.

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Mr Soriot said: “In some patients, they develop a cytokine storm, this means they have a generation of inflammatory chemicals in their body.

“This means they inflame their lungs and also attack their kidneys and also their heart.

“We have a product in the market and we have started treating some patients and we believe it can turn off the switch that generates all these inflammatory chemicals.

“If we do this we will stop patients having to go onto a ventilator.”

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