Fred Hutch to coordinate large-scale vaccine trials for COVID-19 Prevention Network

SEATTLE — Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center will play a pivotal role in the efforts to develop a vaccine for the coronavirus.

A team at Fred Hutch will coordinate the vaccine clinical trials for the COVID-19 Prevention Network, leading operations across at least five large-scale efficacy trials and more than 100 clinical trial sites nationwide and internationally.

The trials are being funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

“We need multiple successful vaccines to protect the entire global population from COVID-19 and stop the spread of a virus that has killed so many people, infected many more and disrupted our way of life,” said Dr. Larry Corey, renowned virologist and past president and director of Fred Hutch. “I’m optimistic that the extraordinary cooperation of industry, government and the scientific community, working in concert with the citizenry of our country, as well as our international partners, will allow us to conduct these trials with the highest standards of safety and scientific accuracy.”

The trials are expected to create “efficiencies and consistency,” as vaccine candidates are evaluated and allow trials to “move at an unprecedented speed” while meeting high standards of safety.

The first phase three trial for a vaccine is expected to be launched by the end of the month, with four more trials expected in the coming months.

Fred Hutch announced that Moderna’s vaccine, which was used in the first human trials in Seattle in March, will be included.

In addition to this trial, Fred Hutch is also looking for multiple working vaccines.

Fred Hutch is now calling on people to volunteer for the clinical trials and would like people from a variety of age groups, so that it can find out how effective the vaccines are for a wide range of people.

Anyone interested in participating can click here for more information.

Cox Media Group