ORPH.L Share News (ORPH)

Open Orphan PLC - London-based pharmaceutical services clinical research firm - Says its Covid-19 characterisation study receives approval from a research ethics committee as it calls for individuals to take part in the study aimed at helping to develop effective vaccines and treatments for the virus. The initial virus characterisation study will inoculate up to 90 volunteers to enable identification of the most appropriate dose of the virus needed to cause Covid-19 infection in a safe and controlled environment.

"This study is a key enabling study to establish the Covid-19 challenge model and determine the lowest possible dose of virus required. Data from this study will immediately facilitate the challenge model to be used for vaccine efficacy testing as well as to answer a wide range of fundamental scientific questions that are not feasible with traditional field trials, such as exactly what type of immunological response is required to confer protection from re-infection," says hVIVO Chief Scientific Officer Andrew Catchpole.

hVIVO became a part of Open Orphan in 2020.

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By Ife Taiwo; ifetaiwo@alliancenews.com

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