Volunteer to find a new vaccine for COVID-19 | Latest news

Developed by specialty vaccine company Valneva, the vaccine is the only inactivated, adjuvanted (an ingredient to create a strong immune response) COVID-19 vaccine in clinical development in Europe.

The study will be running across 22 National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) sites in England – including in Nottingham - and two sites in Scotland, and is open to healthy adults who have not had a previous COVID-19 vaccine.

Professor Stephen Ryder, Clinical Director for Research & Innovation and Principal Investigator for the Valneva vaccine clinical trial at NUH, said:

“Vaccines are the way out of the COVID-19 pandemic and it is essential we develop as many of them as we can, and get these vaccines into practice as quickly as possible.

“I would urge people in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire to come forward to find out if they are eligible to take part in the Valneva vaccine clinical trial, which is being managed by the specialist research team from our Clinical Research Facility, based at Queen’s Medical Centre.”

Unlike earlier COVID-19 vaccine studies, which involved a placebo dose, everyone involved in this trial will receive two active vaccine doses, administered in a four week interval. Those enrolled in the study over the age of 30 will be randomised to receive two doses of either the Valneva vaccine, or the approved Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine. Participants can be enrolled into the study to receive the Valneva vaccine and will not be offered the approved Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.

Following positive safety and immunogenicity study results from the Phase 1/2 stage, which showed the study vaccine dose was “well tolerated with no safety concerns identified”, recruitment to the final Phase 2/3 stage of the study began in the final week of April.

Subject to successful data from these trials, Valneva aims to make regulatory submissions for initial approval in the autumn of 2021.

If Valneva’s vaccine is shown to be safe and effective, up to 250 million vaccine doses could be supplied to the UK and other countries around the world. As part of the UK government’s vaccine procurement approach, up to 100 million doses of this vaccine have been secured.

Volunteers for the study will be vaccinated at the end of Aopril and beginning of May. More details about the vaccine trial and how people can find out if they are eligible to take part in Nottingham are available on the study website:  https://www.ukcovid19study.com