COVID-19 Vaccine Trials in Europe Get Underway

Two new clinical trials to evaluate potential COVID-19 vaccines are getting underway in Europe.

Germany has approved a phase 1/2 clinical trial of Pfizer and BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate — the first COVID-19 vaccine trial to be approved in the country.

The trial will include 200 healthy subjects between ages 18 and 55. The drugmakers also plan on conducting a trial in the U.S.

In the UK, the University of Oxford will begin human clinical trials today for its COVID-19 vaccine candidate. The government is investing $24.6 million in the effort.

In addition, the UK government is contributing $27.7 million to a vaccine trial by the Imperial College of London that is currently in phase 2. The funding will help launch a large phase 3 trial. — Jordan Williams