UK to infect volunteers with Covid-19 to test vaccines' efficacy

▴ UK to infect volunteers with Covid-19 to test vaccines' efficacy
So-called 'human challenge' trials are expected to begin in January at a quarantine facility in London, report says.

Britain is planning to host clinical trials where volunteers are deliberately infected with the new coronavirus to test the effectiveness of vaccine candidates, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, citing people involved in the project.

So-called "challenge trials" are expected to begin in January at a quarantine facility in London, the report said, adding that about 2,000 participants had signed up through a US-based advocacy group, 1Day Sooner.

Britain said it was working with partners on the potential for human challenge trials without commenting on a specific plan.

"We are working with partners to understand how we might collaborate on the potential development of a Covid-19 vaccine through human challenge studies," a government spokeswoman said.

"These discussions are part of our work to research ways of treating, limiting, and hopefully preventing the virus so we can end the pandemic sooner."

The FT reported that the studies will be government-funded, although 1Day Sooner said it would also launch a petition for public funding of a biocontainment facility big enough to quarantine 100 to 200 participants.

Imperial College London, reportedly the academic lead on the trials, did not confirm the studies.

"Imperial continues to engage in a wide range of exploratory discussions relating to Covid-19 research, with a variety of partners. We have nothing further to report at this stage," a spokeswoman said, asked about the possibility of challenge trials.

Any trials conducted in the United Kingdom have to be approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the healthcare regulator which looks into safety and protocol.

The MHRA did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment, but 1Day Sooner, which lobbies for challenge trials to accelerate vaccine development, welcomed the report.

"1Day Sooner congratulates the British government on their plans to conduct challenge trials to test vaccines," it said in a statement, confirming it would petition the government to house the trial participants.

The industry has seen discussions in recent months about potentially having to inject healthy volunteers with the novel coronavirus if drugmakers struggled to find enough patients for final trials.

The FT report said that volunteers would first be inoculated with a vaccine and later receive a challenge dose of the coronavirus. It did not name the vaccines that would be assessed in the project.

British drugmaker AstraZeneca, and French firm Sanofi both told Reuters that their vaccine candidates were not involved in the program.

Tags : #UK #Test #COVID-19 #Vaccines

Related Stories

Loading Please wait...

-Advertisements-




Trending Now

Cancer on the Menu: How Excess Salt is Quietly Killing Your StomachDecember 03, 2024
Breaking Barriers: Honouring the International Day of Persons with Disabilities December 03, 2024
Invisible Threat: How Air Pollution is Impacting Pregnancies and Shaping Future GenerationsDecember 03, 2024
Medanta Gurugram successfully treats ‘rarest of rare’ lymph node cancer resistant to other drugs using CAR-T Cell TherapyDecember 03, 2024
Nonin Medical secures FDA clearance for its over-the-counter fingertip pulse oximeter, accurate for patients of all skin colorsDecember 02, 2024
ALARM 2024: Amrita Leads the Fight Against Antimicrobial ResistanceDecember 02, 2024
Coral adaptation unlikely to keep pace with global warmingDecember 02, 2024
Reaching the unreached to find missing TB casesDecember 02, 2024
Sip Smart: Why Changing Your Water Habits Can Change Your LifeNovember 28, 2024
Can Your Fingers Predict How Much You Drink? New Study ExplainsNovember 28, 2024
India Leads Global Medical Tourism with 8% Share; PSRI Sets New Benchmarks with nearly 15% International Patient BaseNovember 28, 2024
Medicines save lives but not when they stop workingNovember 28, 2024
A total of 340 Children Participated in the Painting Competition Organized by Asian HospitalNovember 28, 2024
The Standing Desk Myth: Is Sitting Actually Healthier?November 27, 2024
How Cancer Outsmarts Chemotherapy: The Hidden Metabolic GameNovember 27, 2024
Aakash Healthcare Saves life of a 61-year-old Women through Timely Neuro-intervention with a multi-disciplinary management of StrokeNovember 27, 2024
Breakfast Wars: Why Men and Women Should Eat DifferentlyNovember 27, 2024
Only 10% of Businesses Are Ready to Become Experience-Orchestrated, Highlighting Lack of PersonalisationNovember 27, 2024
Investors Think Safe, but Act Bold: MyFi Report Exposes Risk Tolerance Mismatch November 27, 2024
Indkal Technologies Redefines Luxury Home Entertainment with Acer M Series Hybrid MiniLED TelevisionsNovember 27, 2024