The first U. S.-based coronavirus vaccine trials to enter the Food and Drug Administration’s third and final phase are taking place right here.<\/b>
\nThe first U. S.-based coronavirus vaccine trials to enter the Food and Drug Administration\u2019s third and final phase are taking place right here in the Triangle.
\u00ab\u00a0Really exciting times,\u00a0\u00bb says Dr. Sam Fleishman, the Chief Medical Officer at Cape Fear Valley Health System. Fleishman is part of a consortium led by Raleigh-based Wake Research to test Moderna\u2019s coronavirus vaccine. The group is now enrolling volunteers this week.
\u00ab\u00a0The early data looks very promising for it be a potential very successful vaccine for Covid-19,\u00a0\u00bb Fleishman said when describing earlier research. This phase of the trials will take a couple of months, but Fleishman says Moderna has lofty goals, \u00ab\u00a0Their hope is, you know, to get something to market by the end of the year which would be incredible.\u00a0\u00bb
Their work, with your help, would be a huge step to the world recovering from this crippling pandemic, according to Fleishman, \u00ab\u00a0If we can get this done then we can get our lives back to somewhat of a normalcy.\u00a0\u00bb
Six Wake Research facilities are taking part in Phase three trials of Moderna\u2019s vaccine. In Raleigh, they\u2019re taking part at the Wake Research building off of Duraleigh Road. In Fayetteville, they\u2019re taking place at the Carolina Institute for Clinical Research on Quiet Cove.
Researchers are looking for local volunteers to participate by being injected with genetically created antibodies modeled from patients who beat COVID-19. The ideal candidates are from the high-risk groups like the elderly, essential\/front line workers and people from minority communities hit hard by the virus.
\u00ab\u00a0This is unprecedented. None of us were trained even in health care to figure out how to really deal with a pandemic, so it\u2019s all been ever life changing,\u00a0\u00bb describes Fleishman about the past couple of months in the health care profession.
If you\u2019re in the Raleigh area are interested, just text COVID to 919-276-8331. In Fayetteville, text COVID to 910-463-5578 and you could join the historic team that helps find the vaccine. Patients will be compensated for their time and travel. Fleishman says the real pay back is finding something to stop the virus and fighting it right here in our own backyard \u00ab\u00a0How excited we are in this part of the state, this our part of the country to be a part of this is really exciting.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n