Trials will be held in Rotorua and Pāpāmoa. Photo / File
Trials will be held in Rotorua and Pāpāmoa. Photo / File
Trials for a new Covid-19 vaccine are under way around the country as New Zealand is one of the few places with enough people how haven't been exposed to the virus.
A specialty vaccine company, Valneva SE, has started a late-stage clinical trial for a possible new Covid-19 vaccine called VLA2001.
The trial is being managed by PharmaSols and will take place at Pacific Clinical Research Network sites at Lakeland Clinical Trials sites in Rotorua, Waikato, and Pāpāmoa.
It will also be at Southern Clinical Trials sites in Christchurch, Waitematā, Remuera, West Auckland, and Nelson.
Initially, healthy Kiwis aged 56 and over, are being enrolled in a clinical trial, which has already started at eight sites across the country.
About 4000 people have already participated in a recent Phase 3 study in Europe using the same vaccine.
New Zealand is the only country outside of Europe where the VLA2001 vaccine is being trialled.
Pacific Clinical Research Network medical director Dr Mike Williams, of Lakeland Clinical Trials, said New Zealand's Covid-19 elimination strategy was a big part of why the trials were being done here.
The participants can't have had or been exposed to Covid, and can't have already been vaccinated.
Williams said as the virus would most likely remain prevalent over the long term, like the flu, there was a need to create as many vaccine choices for people around the world as possible.
Williams said VLA2001 was a traditionally developed vaccine meaning some people may therefore be more comfortable using it over some of the newer mRNA vaccines.
"The mRNA vaccines have been proven to be very effective and very safe vaccines, but some people may prefer the more traditional approach. The more vaccines we have, the better it is for everyone."
The co-ordinating investigator for the New Zealand study is Southern Clinical Trials Christchurch director Dr Simon Carson who has 15 years of experience as a principal investigator in multiple vaccine clinical trials.
Vaccine Alliance Aotearoa New Zealand clinical evaluation director Dr Frances Priddy supported both the trial and increasing New Zealand's involvement in new vaccine studies, saying the country needed to contribute to the global efforts.
She said there would be a continued need for new types of vaccines to ensure all population groups had access, especially older adults, children and adolescents, and those with medical conditions.
"This study gives New Zealanders an opportunity to be involved at a personal level. The participation of older adults is critical to help evaluate new vaccines for this population."
Valneva chief medical officer Juan Carlos Jaramillo said it was extremely important to keep gathering as much data as possible in all age groups.
Jaramillo said they had been working on "Variants of Concern" to stay ahead of the virus which causes Covid-19, "especially since we believe that our inactivated, whole-virus platform will be adaptable across variants".
"We are extremely pleased to be able to invest in this very important additional clinical trial."
The VLA2001 vaccine trial is being managed in New Zealand by PharmaSols, an independent New Zealand clinical research organisation.
PharmaSols managing director Jacquie Palmer said despite the vaccines already in use, the world would not be safe until there was herd immunity, either through mass vaccination or people having had Covid-19.
"Covid-19 is here to stay and new variants are appearing all the time. We need all the tools in our toolkit to tackle the virus over the long term.
"We need to keep developing new vaccines and it is fantastic that people in New Zealand can play a role in the global fight against Covid-19 through participating in this study."
