News11/18/2020

Johns Hopkins Center for Immunization Research to begin enrollment for CoVPN/AstraZeneca Phase 3 COVID-19 Vaccine Research Trial

The Center for Immunization Research at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health is poised to begin enrolling study participants into a Phase 3 trial of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine AZD1222.

The Center is one of approximately 80 sites in the United States that will evaluate this vaccine. About 30,000 participants will be enrolled in the study, which will evaluate the vaccine candidate for safety, efficacy, and immunogenicity against COVID-19.  Dr. Anna Durbin, a professor in the Department of International Health at the Bloomberg School, is the Johns Hopkins site Principal Investigator. The Center will enroll people who are at least 18 years old and will include participants from populations that are most vulnerable to COVID-19-related hospitalization and death, including African Americans, Latinx, and older adults.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, are providing funding support for the trial. Johns Hopkins is part of the NIAID-supported COVID-19 Prevention Network (CoVPN).

CoVPN is providing a self-contained mobile clinic that will act as an extension of the study site to help reach the maximum number of potential participants.  The mobile clinic will provide space to conduct study procedures, including screening, vaccination, blood drawing, and physical exams for those who are unable to visit the actual sites. Study participants will also be enrolled at the CIR’s Unit located on the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Campus. The CIR Unit is 6,567 square feet with a self-contained ventilation system, making it an ideal environment to conduct vaccine trials for respiratory illnesses like coronavirus.

Eligible participants will receive either the vaccine or placebo during the first study visit followed by a second dose one month later. After they receive the vaccinations, they will be followed for two years to collect safety and efficacy data, returning to the site of enrollment for scheduled follow-up visits during this period. People interested in participating in this study should call 410-955-7283 (410-207-2960 for Spanish speakers) for more information.