UK government is reportedly planning to host human challenge trials For coronavirus vaccines. In the trials volunteers will be deliberately infected with the new coronavirus to test the effectiveness of vaccine candidates, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, citing people involved in the project.
The challenge trials are expected to begin in January at a quarantine facility in London, the report said, adding that about 2,000 participants had signed up through a U.S.-based advocacy group, 1Day Sooner.
The studies will be government funded, the FT reported, although 1Day Sooner said it would also launch a petition for public funding of a biocontainment facility big enough to quarantine 100 to 200 participants.
Imperial College London, reportedly the academic lead on the trials, did not confirm the studies.
“Imperial continues to engage in a wide range of exploratory discussions relating to COVID-19 research, with a variety of partners. We have nothing further to report at this stage,” a spokeswoman said, asked about the possibility of challenge trials.
Any trials conducted in the United Kingdom have to be approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the healthcare regulator which looks into safety and protocol.
