The NIHR ICRF has begun London based screening for the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial which was launched last week.
The NIHR ICRF has begun London based screening for the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial which was launched last week.
ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 is made from a virus (ChAdOx1), which is a weakened version of a common cold virus (adenovirus) from chimpanzees that has been genetically changed so that it is impossible for it to grow in humans. To this virus genes have been added that make proteins from the COVID-19 virus (SARS-CoV-2) called Spike glycoprotein (S), which play an essential role in the infection pathway of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. By vaccinating with ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, it is hoped that we can make the body recognise and develop an immune response to the Spike protein that will help stop the SARS-CoV-2 virus from entering human cells and therefore prevent infection. Vaccines made from the ChAdOx1 virus have been given to more than 320 people to date, and have been shown to be safe and well tolerated, although they can cause temporary side effects.
The study participants will be randomly assigned to two groups, one will receive the COVID-19 vaccine and another will receive a meningitis control vaccine (placebo).
The trial will recruit up to 1112 volunteers aged 18 to 55 years old across UK and run for the next six months. Dr Katrina Pollock, Clinical Research Fellow in Vaccinology, will be leading the work at NIHR Imperial Clinical Research Facility
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Reporter
Karen Mosley
National Heart & Lung Institute
Contact details
Tel: +44 (0)20 3313 8073
Email: k.mosley@imperial.ac.uk
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