US authorization of AstraZeneca vaccine could come in April, independent monitors assessing data -US official

CHICAGO - Results of AstraZeneca Plc's U.S. COVID-19 vaccine trial are being reviewed by independent monitors, and emergency authorization could come in about a month, a top U.S. official said on Monday.

The independent monitors are analyzing data from the 32,000-person U.S. study to determine whether the vaccine is safe and effective. If the results are positive and all goes well, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration would review the data and issue the authorization, Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), said in an interview. Collins estimates that the FDA would need about three weeks to analyze the trial data, after which an expert advisory panel will meet and vote on whether to recommend authorization.