Georgina Ferry interviews Sandy Douglas, Associate Professor (Jenner Institute), 17 March 2022.
Topics discussed include (00:00:20) initial questions relating to the large-scale manufacturing of the vaccine, including early ideas relating to a University spin-out company, the decision to partner with AstraZeneca to manufacture and distribute the vaccine; (00:04:25) steps taken to implement the partnership with AstraZeneca, including the decision by John Bell in relation to establishing a partnership, equitable access, early communication with Merck and work with the Serum Institute of India and WuXi Biologics, priorities of the University; (00:09:55) major contribution of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, including the speed of delivery, willingness to partner so that commercial-scale manufacturing of the vaccine could be achieved; (00:15:25) communications with Halix, Pall Corporation and Cobra Biologics; (00:17:01) shipment of cells used to make the vaccine to the Serum Institute of India to expedite the process, negotiations between AstraZeneca and the Serum Institute of India and the granting of a sub-licence to the Serum Institute; (00:22:19) direct correspondence with AstraZeneca, including calls between the Oxford vaccine team and Pascal Soriot, other partnerships, vision and transfer of manufacture to various other sites; (00:27:39) changes made to the manufacturing process; (00:33:02) manufacture of the vaccine by AstraZeneca, including the extensive preparation, manufacture of the vaccine by smaller partners including Halix and Cobra Biologics; (00:37:27) use of the vaccine in early clinical trials; (00:42:50) up-scale of manufacturing process; (00:43:26) 'fill and finish' process; (00:46:40) clinical trial results in late 2020, the status of large-scale manufacturing of the vaccine at the end of 2020, tests required on the vaccine by various authorities and regulatory bodies; (00:52:30) responsibilities over the manufacturing process after summer 2020, work on improving the manufacturing process with the aim of making more vaccine; (00:55:20) tension between the speed of process and ensuring that quality was maintained; (00:57:47) the large-scale production of vaccine in early 2021, including the output at Oxford Biomedica, Halix and Cobra Biologics, global scarcity of vaccines, tension relating to the supply of the vaccine to the EU and other countries, AstraZeneca as a scapegoat; (01:02:16) trial data and dosage, single doses and protection; (01:04:58) January 2021 study on intranasal application of the vaccine, reports of blood clots occurring after vaccination.
