Who was the volunteer who died during testing for the AstraZeneca...

João Pedro Feitosa. This is the name of the young Brazilian man who died on Monday during Covid-19 vaccine trials developed by the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, in partnership with the University of Oxford.

What is known about John’s death?

As far as G1 was able to ascertain, the 28-year-old took a placebo – a substance without adverse drug reactions, which is usually used in clinical trials and which aims to relieve symptoms – and not the immunizer against covid-19. That is, he belonged to the group of volunteers who took a placebo and not the vaccine. The purpose of this distinction is to understand the different reactions between those who take and do not take the immunizer.

However, despite the death, the independent committee that accompanies the case decided that the study should continue. In the same vein, the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa), the Brazilian health regulating and regulating body, under the supervision of the Ministry of Health, clarified, in a statement, that it received data regarding the investigation that gave the “green light” for the continuity of clinical trials.

Regarding the death of the Oxford vaccine testing volunteer, Anvisa was formally informed of this fact on October 19, 2020. Data related to the investigation carried out by the International Safety Assessment Committee was shared with the Agency. It is important to note that, based on the ethical confidentiality commitments provided for in the protocol, the regulatory agencies involved receive partial data regarding the investigation carried out by this committee, which they suggested to continue the study. Thus, the process remains under evaluation “.

Both AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford have not released any details about João’s death, claiming they cannot do so due to the confidentiality clauses to which they are subject, but the investigation continues. Anvisa used the same argument.

Therefore, Anvisa reiterates that, according to national and international regulations on Good Clinical Practice, data on clinical research volunteers must be kept confidential, in accordance with principles of confidentiality, human dignity and protection of participants “.

Anvisa is committed to complying with these regulations, in order to ensure the privacy of volunteers and also the country’s reliability for carrying out studies of such relevance “, he adds.

G1 knows, however, that João died due to complications from the disease.

Who was this young volunteer?

João Feitosa was a young doctor, 28 years old, who graduated in Medicine at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, last year, and since March he was working at the forefront of combating covid-19.

He worked in two hospitals, one public and one private, both in the north of Rio, and even worked in field hospitals.

In a note of regret, the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro explained that João was an excellent student and that he was even distinguished academically.

Carioca, João was 28 years old. He joined in 2014 and concluded the course in July 2019 with the distinction of academic dignity “Cum Laude”, when the student finishes graduation at UFRJ with an accumulated income coefficient equal to or greater than 8. João had a final score of 8.7 “, but not three notes.

The Rectorate of UFRJ – together with the entire university community – offers sincere condolences to the family and friends of our former student in the midst of that moment of sadness that took the life of João, who had just graduated and spared no effort to act in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic that has already accumulated over 40 million cases worldwide “, they add.