One of the world’s first Covid booster vaccines targeting multiple variants will soon be trialled at King’s College Hospital.
Moderna is developing the vaccine because they say their standard Covid-19 booster offers declining protection against Omicron six months after it’s administered.
In the study, which launches on Tuesday 18 April, half of the volunteers will be given Moderna’s new multi-variant booster and the other half given the UK-approved Moderna booster jab.
Dr James Galloway, consultant rheumatologist at King’s College Hospital, in Denmark Hill, Camberwell, said: “Vaccines continue to remain a key part of the UK’s defence against Covid. Their ability to reduce the risk of serious illness and death has been observed since the start of the roll-out in December 2020.
“This trial is perfectly timed as increasing evidence shows that vaccines which are effective against multiple variants will be key to helping us to live with the virus.”
The first part of the study, led by St George’s, University of London, tested the efficacy of the Omicron-specific vaccine.
This second phase of the trial, made possible by a partnership between US biotechnology company Moderna Inc and the UK’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), will determine how effective the new multivariant vaccine is.
Professor Lucy Chappell, chief executive of the National Institute for Health Research, said: “The last two years have demonstrated the vital importance of international scientific collaboration, so it is truly exciting to see the NIHR and Moderna working with research teams across the UK on Moderna’s first major UK Covid vaccine study.
“With world-leading researchers, and the unique infrastructure and delivery expertise the NIHR provides, the UK is well-positioned to host exactly these sorts of significant, innovative projects in a post-pandemic world.”