Janssen Covid-19 vaccine being trialled in West Oxfordshire

The phase three vaccine study from The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson will test the safety and effectiveness of the company’s two-dose regimen vaccine.

So far, 200 volunteers are taking part at the Windrush Medical Practice, Witney with a further 200 at the Eynsham Medical Group.

They are among sites across the UK including Cardiff, London and Manchester, with recruitment set to be complete in March 2021 for the 12-month study.

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The study will recruit 30,000 people worldwide and is being delivered by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).

Dr Nick Thomas, principal GP at Windrush Medical Practice, said: “The support of patients at our practices is testament to the key relationship general practitioners have with their patients. 

“Furthermore this shows the strength of GP practices and the vital role they play within the pandemic.”

Dr Ian Binnian, a GP partner at Eynsham Medical Group, said the practice was ‘honoured’ to contribute to the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

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The Government has developed a portfolio of six different vaccine candidates and secured access to 350 million doses to date.

Of this, an agreement has been made in principle to include 30 million doses of Janssen’s vaccine if it is safe and effective.

Paul Stoffels, vice chairman of the executive committee at Johnson & Johnson, said: “We are delighted to be initiating our global phase three trial in the UK to study the safety and efficacy of a two-dose regimen of our investigational Covid-19 vaccine candidate.

“This collaboration with UK researchers and the NIHR demonstrates our continued commitment to working together with partners around the world, and marks another positive step forward as we strive to find solutions to this global health crisis.”

For more information on volunteering for clinical studies, visit: nhs.uk/researchcontact