AstraZeneca’s Nasal Spray for Covid Fizzles in Early Test (1)

AstraZeneca Plc’s ambitions for developing an easier formulation of its Covid-19 vaccine -- one that might help curb contagion as well -- suffered a setback Monday as the nasal spray failed in an early test.

The spray vaccine didn’t elicit a strong immune response in the nasal mucosa tissue or in the rest of the body of volunteers, according to researchers at the University of Oxford. Astra shares fell less than 1% in London.

The UK drugmaker was one in a handful of companies investigating the approach, arguing a nasal inoculation can thwart the virus at its point ...