First Volunteer Given UK's Imperial College COVID-19 Vaccine

London, June 24: The researchers at Imperial College of London "reached a significant milestone" as the first healthy volunteer after they developed a potential coronavirus vaccine. The clinical team is closely monitoring the participant's health whom they delivered a small dose of the vaccine who remains in good condition with no safety concerns.

 

 

 

The human trials of the vaccine are based on a new self-amplifying RNA technology, which has never before been involved in human trials. If it proves safe and effective, Imperial College believes it could revolutionize — and reduce the cost of vaccine development. It will also allow scientists to take on emerging diseases like COVID-19 much more quickly in the future. The vaccine has undergone rigorous pre-clinical safety tests and in animal studies which is safe. It has produced encouraging signs of an effective immune response.

 

 

"We have reached a significant milestone in this ground-breaking study with the first dose of a self-amplifying RNA vaccine delivered safely. We are now poised to test the vaccine in the dose evaluation phase before moving forward to evaluating it in larger numbers. It is a privilege to be part of this important work and the team is extremely grateful for the enthusiasm and support from our volunteers, without whom clinical research would not be possible" said Dr. Katrina Pollock, from Imperial's Department of Infectious Disease and Chief Investigator of the study.

 

"It is a tribute to science and the widespread desire to assist the COVID-19 vaccine program that thousands are signing up to be a part of these vaccine studies. I look forward to providing more updates on our progress as we gather more data," he said.

 

One person has now received a first dose vaccine, with a second booster dose to follow within four weeks. Several others are expected to receive the first dose over the coming days. The clinical team will continue to monitor all participants closely for safety, as well as looking to see if they produce antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

 

The initial volunteer will receive a booster shot in four weeks, and several other volunteers will enter the trial to further assess the vaccine's safety and find the right dosage. Over the coming weeks, 300 healthy participants are expected to receive two doses of the vaccine. If the vaccine is safe and shows a promising immune response in humans, then larger trials would be planned for later in the year.

 

The research has been supported by the UK Medical Research Council, UK Research and Innovation, the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the National Institute for Health Research, along with numerous philanthropic donations. It received £41 million in funding from the UK government and a further £5 million in philanthropic donations.