The road to the first globally available COVID-19 vaccine ran through the 小蝌蚪APP.
Trials involving nonhuman primates at UL Lafayette小蝌蚪APP檚 helped determine the effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the world小蝌蚪APP檚 first fully tested COVID-19 immunization approved for emergency use.
小蝌蚪APP淲e are so privileged to have been on the front lines of the fight against the pandemic,小蝌蚪APP said Jane Fontenot, NIRC小蝌蚪APP檚 director of Contract Research. 小蝌蚪APP淚t小蝌蚪APP檚 very rewarding.小蝌蚪APP
The United Kingdom was the first nation to issue an emergency authorization for the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in December. The United States, the European Union and other countries soon followed suit. Studies have shown that the vaccine is 95 percent effective at preventing COVID-19 after two doses.
Because of confidentiality agreements with Pfizer, UL Lafayette couldn小蝌蚪APP檛 discuss its role in the vaccine小蝌蚪APP檚 development until now. A publication in the peer-reviewed journal Nature is the first public confirmation of the 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 participation in the history-making effort.
Fontenot co-authored the publication, which on Feb. 1.
Beginning last spring, rhesus macaques at NIRC were immunized as part of nonhuman primate clinical trials of the vaccine. Staff administered vaccines, collected samples and observed the animals 小蝌蚪APP渇or any signs of problems,小蝌蚪APP Fontenot said. 小蝌蚪APP淭hat included evidence of pain, elevated temperatures, loss of appetite 小蝌蚪APP any symptoms that may have raised concern about tolerability.小蝌蚪APP
NIRC staff then helped facilitate transfer of the vaccinated animals to the Southwest National Primate Center, which is affiliated with the Texas Biomedical Research Institute.
The center in San Antonio includes a biosafety level 3 facility, which means it can securely handle live, airborne infectious agents such as COVID-19. NIRC is a biosafety level 2 facility, though UL Lafayette is seeking funds to bring it up to level 3 status.
In Texas, about a month after receiving vaccinations at NIRC, the rhesus macaques underwent the challenge phase of the trial in which they were exposed to COVID-19. Results showed the vaccine offered protection from the virus.
The federal Food and Drug Administration authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for emergency use in mid-December 2020, about a year after COVID-19 first emerged globally. The first U.S. cases of the virus were reported in January of last year.
The rapidity of the vaccine小蝌蚪APP檚 development depended on pre-existing relationships the biopharmaceutical giant had with research facilities such as NIRC, said Dr. Ramesh Kolluru. He is UL Lafayette小蝌蚪APP檚 .
小蝌蚪APP淲e were instrumental in Pfizer being able to work as quickly as they did,小蝌蚪APP said Kolluru, who cited the vaccine小蝌蚪APP檚 development 小蝌蚪APP and the 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 role in it 小蝌蚪APP as an 小蝌蚪APP渆xample of the power of public-private partnerships.小蝌蚪APP
小蝌蚪APP淣IRC小蝌蚪APP檚 long history of collaborations with biomedical research companies and others provided a baseline of expertise on which the center could rely in its role in the vaccine小蝌蚪APP檚 development. The relationships we小蝌蚪APP檝e nurtured over the decades enabled us to be a part of this historic answer to a global challenge.小蝌蚪APP
Dr. Joseph Savoie, UL Lafayette president, said the 小蝌蚪APP and its researchers 小蝌蚪APP渨ere prepared to meet this moment. Few areas of life have escaped the pandemic小蝌蚪APP檚 effects, so to contribute to something that brings hope to the world is truly extraordinary.小蝌蚪APP
He continued: 小蝌蚪APP淭his is what modern research universities do. 小蝌蚪APP楻esearch for a reason小蝌蚪APP is a driving force for our 小蝌蚪APP and there is no better motivation to do the work that we do than to help overcome a challenge like COVID-19 that has impacted all of humanity.小蝌蚪APP
The New Iberia Research Center is the nation小蝌蚪APP檚 largest academically affiliated, nonhuman primate research center. NIRC is home to more than 8,500 nonhuman primates.
Dr. Francois Villinger, the center小蝌蚪APP檚 director, noted that NIRC小蝌蚪APP檚 research collaborations include the biopharmaceutical industry, federal agencies and nonprofit organizations. Its research and development expenditures last fiscal year topped $54 million; 75 percent of that figure came from industry partners.
小蝌蚪APP淲e specialize in applied and basic research aimed at promoting human quality of life,小蝌蚪APP Villinger said. 小蝌蚪APP淭he work we do here is all about bringing treatments and vaccines to the public.小蝌蚪APP
The center has previously supported attempts to develop vaccines for HIV and SIV in nonhuman primates. In addition, the center小蝌蚪APP檚 R&D activities have focused on preventing and curing infectious diseases such as flu, RSV, Zika, and Ebola.
Expertise, based on past and ongoing work, enabled NIRC to pivot quickly to address COVID-19, Villinger said.
NIRC is involved in eight vaccine and therapeutic drug studies related to COVID-19. That小蝌蚪APP檚 in addition to the center小蝌蚪APP檚 work on the successful Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
Proving the vaccine小蝌蚪APP檚 effectiveness in nonhuman primates 小蝌蚪APP渟tarted right here,小蝌蚪APP Villinger said. 小蝌蚪APP淭hat work began right here.小蝌蚪APP