The Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital has been one of the 3 Spanish hospitals selected to participate in an international study investigating a vaccine, Ad26COVS, against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which is responsible for the COVID-19 disease. Thanks to the collaboration of healthy volunteers, the aim is to evaluate the immune response to different doses of the vaccine, its safety and the duration of the immune effect at 4 and 6 months.
This trial will take place in the coming weeks internationally. To carry it out in Spain, the clinical trial units of Hospital Valdecilla, Hospital La Paz and Hospital La Princesa, in Madrid, have been selected, thanks to the high level of their technical and human resources and their experience in highly complex trials.
This study has the authorization of the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS), dependent on the Ministry of Health of the Government of Spain, and has been evaluated and approved by a National Drug Research Ethics Committee. Its execution requires the recruitment of healthy volunteers, aged between 18 and 55, who have not been infected with the virus during this pandemic.
Vaccine clinical trials
Vaccines are biological preparations that generate immunity against a disease by stimulating the production of antibodies within the body, so that it is able to recognize the pathogen as a threat and destroy it. They are used to prevent or reduce aggressiveness to future infections.
The Valdecilla Clinical Trials Unit has been operating in the heart of the Hospital since 2013 and has solid resources and experience in trials for the study of treatments for many different diseases.
In this unit, which has been recognized by the ISO 9001-2015 quality certification, the clinical and research capacity of the Valdecilla Hospital and the IDIVAL Health Research Institute go hand in hand. So far, it has participated in about 250 clinical trials led by professionals from 17 different specialties.
