The highlights of Tryon Medical Partners’ upcoming COVID-19 vaccine trial as reported by WFAE‘s Claire Donnelly July 17, 2020:
Charlotte’s Tryon Medical Partners is one of about 90 locations across the U.S. that will participate in the Phase 3 trial of a COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by the company Moderna.
The trial will take place at Tryon’s SouthPark location and will begin screening and enrolling participants as early as July 27. It plans to enroll at least 350 people and is not limited to existing Tryon patients. Some will receive the vaccine while others will receive a placebo.
The Moderna vaccine, called mRNA-1273, was developed with researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. It was the first to be tested in humans. According to a preliminary report published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Tuesday, the vaccine appeared safe and produced a promising immune response in the first 45 people who received it.
“We are actively in the process of securing and putting everything in place with respect to approvals and study supplies,” said Amanda Wright, vice president of partnership development at Javara, a Winston-Salem-based research company that helps administer clinical trials at Tryon.
The Phase 3 vaccine trial will enroll 30,000 people nationwide, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
“Most patients are going to want to know, ‘Am I going to catch the virus? Will this give me the virus and I get sick with COVID-19 from the vaccine?’ The answer is absolutely not,” said Dr. Dale Owen, Chief Executive Officer of Tryon Medical Partners.
Owen said the mRNA-1273 vaccine contains a component of the novel coronavirus called the “spike protein,” which generates an immune system response and produces antibodies.
People interested in enrolling in the Tryon Medical Partners trial should call 704-586-9386.
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