AstraZeneca, JNJ To Start Research On Potentially Modified COVID-19 Shots: WSJ

Johnson & Johnson JNJ and AstraZeneca plc AZN have joined the University of Oxford and other experts to conduct early-stage research to assess if modifications to their COVID-19 vaccines could reduce or eliminate risks of rare blood clotting events linked to the shots.
The studies on clues for clot formation are fueling the hopes of identifying the cause with potential for reengineering the AstraZeneca vaccine by next year, the Wall Street Journal reported citing people familiar with the matter.
According to data from the U.K. and Europe, the incidence of blood clotting combined with low platelet count stands at 1 to 2 per 100,000 AstraZeneca shots. a
U.S. government data indicate that the rate is 0.3 cases per 100,000 doses for the JNJ vaccine.
Both vaccines are based on an adenovirus vector.
According to a recent Canadian study, a handful of amino acids could offer new clues on reasons for vaccine-induced clotting.
Price Action: AZN stock is down 0.15% at $60.41, while JNJ stock is up 0.08% at $169.35 during the market session on the last check Tuesday.