World's first coronavirus Human Challenge study receives ethics approval in the UK

[Mary Wilson]

Published 17 February 2021
From:Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and The Rt Hon Kwasi Kwarteng MP

The UK will be the first country in the world to run a Covid-19 human challenge study, following approval from the UK’s clinical trials ethics body.

• First Covid-19 human challenge study will begin within a month, after receiving ethics approval in the same week the UK hits target of offering first dose to 15 million people
• Researchers call on healthy young people to volunteer for the study, which will play a key role in developing effective Covid-19 vaccines and treatments
• Up to 90 volunteers aged 18 - 30 years will be exposed to Covid-19 in a safe and controlled environment to increase understanding of how the virus affects people

Backed by a ?33.6 million UK government investment, the first-of-its-kind study for this virus will involve establishing the smallest amount of virus needed to cause infection, which will give doctors greater understanding of Covid-19 and help support the pandemic response by aiding vaccine and treatment development.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/worlds-first-coronavirus-human-challenge-study-receives-ethics-approval-in-the-uk