U-M to conduct clinical trial to test AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine

Author | Kelly Malcom

Michigan Medicine is partnering with the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca for a Phase 3 clinical trial to test a vaccine against COVID-19. The AZD1222 COVID-19 VACCINE Study will research an investigational vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2).

The study will look at how well the investigational vaccine works and how safe it is. U-M will begin recruiting hundreds of participants for the trial immediately, until the trial is full. U-M is one of several U.S. sites supporting the AstraZeneca trial, with the aim of including 30,000 individuals over a period of two years.

“The importance of a safe and effective vaccine against COVID-19 cannot be overstated. The AstraZeneca Phase III trial will bring answers as to the effectiveness of this vaccine. At the end of the day, this kind of rigorous clinical trial with the commitment of Michigan Medicine and other study sites to safety will be a key step in realizing a vaccine that will save lives when one is developed,” says Marschall Runge, M.D., Ph.D., Dean, U-M Medical School, Executive Vice President, Medical Affairs and CEO, Michigan Medicine.

The AstraZeneca trial is one of several vaccine trials being funded through a public/private partnership under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services called Operation Warp Speed. It is designed to accelerate the development of a life-saving vaccine to prevent COVID-19, while maintaining standards for safety and efficacy.

“We are proud to advance the University of Michigan's outstanding legacy of excellence in vaccine trials with this important clinical trial partnership. We hope one day soon to be able to announce a successful vaccine against COVID-19 and save lives,” says Mark Schlissel, M.D., Ph.D., president of the University of Michigan.

Phase I/II trials of the vaccine in more than 1000 people were completed earlier this year and demonstrated increased antibody responses against SARS-CoV-2 and no serious adverse effects.

For more information about the study, visit https://www.uofmhealth.org/covid19-vaccine or email [email protected].
Media Contact Public Relations

Department of Communication at Michigan Medicine

[email protected]

734-764-2220

Featured News & Stories Illustration of a microscope
Health Lab
Researchers uncover distinct molecular subgroups of kidney disease for personalized treatment
Researchers have used advanced computer algorithms to uncover distinct molecular subgroups of kidney diseases, independent of clinical classifications. These findings have significant implications for personalized treatment approaches.
 infertilityawareness_Morrisons
Health Lab
Nurse shares IVF journey that led to her son
Malinda and David Morrison III welcomed their son in 2022 after years of trying to conceive
 Illustration of doctor pictured outside a pill bottle that houses a bent-over figure with pills lying on the ground
Health Lab
It’s easier now to treat opioid addiction with medication -- but use has changed little
Buprenorphine prescribing for opioid addiction used to require a special waiver from the federal government, but a new study shows what happened in the first year after that requirement was lifted.
Health Lab
Young heart transplant recipient fights off cancer
Young heart transplant recipient develops post-transplant lymphoma, but perseveres
 Moving illustration of family at the dinner table eating healthy diet
Health Lab
Playing short order cook, forcing clean plates may sabotage healthy eating habits in kids
While most parents of preschool and elementary aged children strive to give their children a balanced, nutritional diet, some of their strategies to promote healthy eating may backfire.
 Pill capsule pushing through a paper with amoxicillin printed on it.
Health Lab
Rise seen in use of antibiotics for conditions they can’t treat – including COVID-19
Overuse of antibiotics can lead bacteria to evolve antimicrobial resistance, but Americans are still receiving the drugs for many conditions that they can’t treat.