AstraZeneca pauses coronavirus vaccine trial as participant illness investigated

FILE PHOTO: The company logo for pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca is displayed on a screen on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., April 8, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo

(Reuters) - AstraZeneca's suspension of global trials of its experimental coronavirus vaccine after an illness in a study subject in Britain has cast doubt on prospects for an early rollout of one of the most advanced COVID-19 vaccines in development.

AstraZeneca, which is developing the vaccine with Oxford University researchers, said on Tuesday it had paused late-stage trials to allow an independent committee to review safety data, and it was working to minimize any potential impact on the timeline.