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

The Double-Edged Sword of Kala-azar Treatment: Shedding Light on Eye ComplicationsMarch 28, 2024
FTCCI Launches Industry-Academia Connect to improve the employability of Engineering Graduates and address the growing demand for Talent in Emerging TechMarch 27, 2024
NTT and Olympus Begin World's First Joint Demonstration Experiment of Cloud Endoscopy SystemMarch 27, 2024
NTT and Olympus Begin World's First Joint Demonstration Experiment of Cloud Endoscopy SystemMarch 27, 2024
2nd Edition of IIFL JITO Ahimsa Run for peace & for non-violence to be held on 31st MarchMarch 27, 2024
Brij Hotels Announced 4 Million in Series A Funding March 27, 2024
Combatting Childhood Sedentariness: The Key to Preventing Premature Vascular DamageMarch 27, 2024
Crucial Findings: Unlocking Paths to Combat Ebola's DevastationMarch 27, 2024
Guarding Against Disease: The Crucial Role of Oral Hygiene in Preventive HealthcareMarch 27, 2024
Sanofi & Cipla announce exclusive distribution partnership to expand reach of CNS portfolio in IndiaMarch 26, 2024
Surmandal's Tribute to the Legends of Hindustani Classical MusicMarch 26, 2024
In Moscow, over 350,000 mammograms have been analyzed using artificial intelligence as part of the compulsory health insurance programMarch 26, 2024
Embark on a Creative Journey: "Kala For A Cause" Unveils Pottery Workshop Series March 26, 2024
Healthtech pioneer Aurora Innovation appoints new CEO – expands in Europe with service that streamlines patient-healthcare interactionMarch 26, 2024
In A Rare Feat, 45 YO Woman Walks Within 6 Hrs. Of Dual Robotic Surgery In A Single Operation At HCGMCCMarch 26, 2024
Improve Cancer Care through Automated CT Analysis: Oncoshield – CTMarch 26, 2024
Empowering Patients: The Role of Advocacy in Indian HealthcareMarch 26, 2024
A New Dawn in Heart Surgery: Mitral Valve Repair for 15-Year-Old PatientMarch 26, 2024
Cracking the Code of Extended Fasting: Lessons from a Comprehensive InvestigationMarch 26, 2024
From Lab to Life: Exploring Eating Behaviors with AI WearablesMarch 26, 2024