AstraZeneca Cherry-Picked Data, Misrepresented Vaccine’s Efficacy, Independent Medical Board Alleges

An independent panel of medical experts overseeing AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine trial accused the pharmaceutical company of cherry-picking favorable data, The New York Times reported.

The Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) alleged that AstraZeneca misrepresented the results of its coronavirus vaccine trial when it announced Monday morning that the vaccine had 79% efficacy at preventing symptomatic coronavirus, according to the NYT. The panel wrote a sharply-worded letter to the British pharmaceutical company and U.S. health officials hours after the results were released, triggering the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to issue a statement expressing concern.