Open Orphan PLC (LON:ORPH) said the first three volunteers taking part in the world’s first COVID-19 characterisation study have successfully completed the quarantine phase.
A second group will be admitted as part of the clinical assessment to identify the dose required to induce infection. In all, 90 people will take part in the trial being carried out at London’s Royal Free Hospital. The first three will be monitored for a period of up to one year.
Funded by the government, the study is being conducted by Open Orphan subsidiary, hVIVO, with Imperial College, London, acting as sponsor.
“We expect that this study will greatly assist our understanding of this disease and provide insights into its progression, natural immune response, and transmission,” said hVIVO’s chief scientific officer, Dr Andrew Catchpole.