ARC Clinical Research, the research arm for Austin Regional Clinic, is one of the select sites across the country to participate in a BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine study testing an "updated" Pfizer‐BioNTech vaccine targeting specific variants.
This study consists of two parts. One part will evaluate the safety and efficacy of the booster injection (third shot) containing multivalent vaccine (two virus strains). The second part will evaluate the safety and efficacy of a booster injection of a monovalent vaccine (one virus strain). The results of the two parts will be compared to those who were previously vaccinated with the Pfizer‐BioNTech vaccine currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The trial is enrolling healthy adults between 18 to 85 years old who are currently unvaccinated for COVID-19 and have no history of a COVID-19 infection.
"As new variants emerge with unknown risk, such as the latest Omicron, we must continue to research new approaches to ensure that our vaccines can adequately protect against COVID-19," said Dr. Amy Siegel, Internal Medicine physician at Austin Regional Clinic and Principal Investigator at ARC Clinical Research. "If evidence emerges that the existing vaccines are less effective against the variants, trials like this one will make us better prepared."
ARC Clinical Research is the only site in Central Texas recruiting for the BioNTech trial.