Data from mid-stage trials of a potential COVID-19 vaccine developed by British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca Plc (STO:AZN)(LON:AZN) and Oxford University has revealed that the vaccine produced a strong immune response in older adults, Reuters news agency reported on Thursday.

This data, reported in part last month but published in full in The Lancet medical journal on 19 November 2020, suggests that those aged over 70, who are at higher risk of serious illness and death from COVID-19, could build robust immunity to the pandemic disease, researchers said.

Researchers said that late-stage, or Phase III, trials are ongoing to confirm the findings and to test whether the vaccine protects against infection with SARS-CoV-2 in a broad range of people, including people with underlying health conditions.

According to the Lancet report, the first efficacy data from those Phase III trials is "possible in the coming weeks".

Reportedly, AstraZeneca has signed several supply and manufacturing deals with companies and governments around the world as it gets close to reporting results of its late-stage trials.