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Global pharmaceutical company Janssen is starting clinical trials of a possible COVID-19 vaccine in the UK.
Across the country, 6,000 volunteers are participating in phase three trials of the COVID-19 vaccine at 17 National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) sites, including Southampton, Bristol, Cardiff, London, Leicester, Sheffield, Manchester, Dundee, and Belfast.
It is the third potential coronavirus vaccine to enter clinical trials in the UK, together with the American biotech company Novavax Y Oxford University / AstraZeneca whose studies are currently in progress.
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The start of the test occurs one week after the advance announced by Pfizer and BioNtech that the first results showed that his vaccine was more than 90% effective.
Professor Saul Faust, director of the NIHR Southampton Clinical Research Facility and lead investigator of the Janssen phase three trial, told Sky News: “The Janssen vaccine is very similar to the Oxford / Astra Zeneca vaccine in the sense that it is a virus from the adapted cold that can not replicate in the body and cannot give us a cold nor can it give us coronavirus, but it does show the body’s immune system the spike protein that allows us to make an immune response.
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“Pfizer’s announcement last week was really exciting because we didn’t know until last week that a vaccine could stop the coronavirus at all.
“All companies are making peak protein vaccines, so we have high hopes that all vaccines will work to a greater or lesser extent and it is really important that we have several different vaccines from several different companies because we have no idea if one vaccine will work in all age groups or all populations and we really have no idea whether the vaccine supply will be able to come from one company all the time and supply the whole world. “
Paul Stoffels, Chief Scientific Officer at Janssen’s parent company Johnson & Johnson, told Sky’s Ian King Live that he expected a huge demand in the UK for volunteers for Janssen vaccine trials as they were recruiting over 1,000 people daily for a separate trial in the US.
He said: “There are more vulnerable people like the elderly … and those with conditions like diabetes, heart disease.
“We would like to study the vaccine in those populations where people need it most first and that is the objective of knowing, in a very large, diverse population, if the vaccine is active and protects against COVID.”
Trade Secretary Alok Sharma replied: “The launch of more clinical trials in the UK is another step in the race to discover a safe and effective vaccine, and adds to recent news that we may be on the cusp of the first big progress since the pandemic began.
“While we are optimistic about the progress that is being made, there are no guarantees and there may not be a one-size-fits-all vaccine. That is why it is absolutely vital that as our scientists continue the work, we continue to follow guidance to control the virus. , protect the NHS and save lives. “
Meanwhile, the Labor leader has called on the prime minister to publish a comprehensive national action plan to implement a future coronavirus vaccine “that harnesses all the talents of the British people.”
In a letter to Boris Johnson, Sir Keir Starmer wrote: “The challenge facing the country now is not just how do we manage to control the virus, but how do we prepare for the vaccine.
“We are world leaders in vaccines and I think we should aim for a world class program to implement it. However, this will be a gigantic logistics operation, probably bigger than what we have seen since WWII. If we are going to get it right, so we must have a clear plan now. “
Professor Martin McKee, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, is an independent SAGE member and is among the scientists who warn that launching a vaccine may not be the silver bullet people are hoping for.
“We need to recognize that alone they are not going to solve the problem.
“We need to have them as part of an integrated strategy that includes a very good test and trace system and isolation for quite some time, but we are going to have to maintain a lot of the social distancing measures that we have until everyone is vaccinated, until we actually have this under control.
“So they are an important element, but we should not put all our eggs in one basket.
“We also have to recognize that there will also be some questions about vaccines.”
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More than 300,000 people have signed up to the NHS Vaccine Registry to participate in coronavirus vaccine studies.
The NHS vaccine registry particularly needs volunteers who are more vulnerable to the effects of the coronavirus, including front-line healthcare and social workers and people of black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds.
Dr. Vanessa Apea, Black, Asian, and Ethnic Minority Clinical Champion at the NIHR North Thames Clinical Research Network, said: “COVID-19 still poses a significant threat to our health and our communities and many of us are still vulnerable to it One of the ways we can reduce the threat and impact of this disease is a vaccine.
“The issue of vaccines divides communities. For many, and in particular, black, Asian and ethnic minority communities, the word vaccine generates a lot of anxiety, rooted in mistrust, which can understandably lead to reluctance to participate in an essay.
“We know that these communities are disproportionately affected by COVID-19 and this makes it even more important that any research results, including new treatments and ways to prevent the disease, work for all communities.”
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“Only by doing this can we really take control of COVID-19, so we really need people from black, Asian and ethnic minority communities to sign up to learn more and be a part of the research,” he added.
“Participating in a clinical trial or receiving a vaccine is a totally personal choice and should always be supported by accurate information.”
People can sign up for ongoing trials through the NHS Vaccine Research Registry at nhs.uk/researchcontact
