Johnson & Johnson has begun a new third stage-trial in Britain to obtain the results of its vaccine candidate’s two-dose regimen. The trials will be conducted among thousands of volunteers across the globe, the reports suggested.
According to a mint report, the drugmaker plans to launch the vaccine trials among 30,000 volunteers for study which will be conducted in parallel to its one-dose trial that began in September among 60,000 participants.
The aim of the new two-dose regimen is to assess the efficacy of the experimental vaccine after both the first and second dose to determine if the latter provides better protection against the virus.
“The study will assess efficacy of the investigational vaccine after both the first and second dose to evaluate protection against the virus and potential incremental benefits for duration of protection with a second dose,” J&J said in a statement.
It is noteworthy that Johnson & Johnson has touted its vaccine as single dose only, however, the new 2-dose trials are purely experimental to check the efficacy.
The study being conducted in UK is aiming to recruit as many as 6,000 participants among a total of 30,000 people globally, scientists leading the UK trial said. In UK itself, the volunteers will be recruited at 17 different sites.
In September, the J&J signed an agreement of two-dose global phase III clinical trial with British government in August. However, the drugmaker is now announcing its progression into the third trials.
The company has said that if single-shot gives sustainable results, the company will be able to reach millions of people compared with its leading rivals who require two doses.
As of now, J&J is the only company across the globe to claim efficacy of the vaccine by just injecting a single shot.
According to a report of BioPharma, the vaccine is estimated to remain stable at -20 degree Celsius and at least three months at 2-8 degree Celsius.
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