This month we have been busy vaccinating volunteers in North Manchester, Preston and North London for a new COVID prevention study. It has been an exciting time as we were the world’s first clinical trial site to administer the vaccine to volunteers in this study.
The first participant to be vaccinated at our Rochdale clinic
As part of the double-blind, phase three trial, we’re comparing Valneva’s inactivated vaccine, VLA2001, with AstraZeneca’s conditionally approved vaccine, Vaxzeria. Unlike earlier COVID-19 vaccine trials, which involved a placebo dose, everyone involved in this study will receive two active vaccine doses.
Participants enrolled in the study, who are over the age of 30, will be randomised to receive two doses of either the Valneva vaccine, or the approved Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine. Those aged 18 – 29, will be enrolled in the study to receive the Valneva vaccine only.
Vaccination of a participant at our Rochdale clinic
Valneva plans to make a regulatory license submission to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the United Kingdom in Autumn 2021, subject to successful Phase 3 data from this study. Last year Valneva entered a major partnership with the UK government. The UK has the option to purchase up to 190 million doses through to 2025 and has ordered 100 million doses to date, to be delivered in 2021 and 2022.
Our CEO Stuart Young commented “Every new vaccine is another weapon with which we can fight this pandemic and we are very pleased that we have been able to assist in these trials. We have put in place strict procedures, SOPs, and PPE at all our sites across the UK to make sure that patients, volunteers, and staff are as safe as possible. It is vital that clinical trials continue to ensure that there are new medications available to prevent and treat, not only COVID-19, but the many other conditions which afflict so many people.”
We’ll be vaccinating hundreds more volunteers over the coming weeks at our clinics in North Manchester, Preston and North London.
