We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

HospiMedica

Download Mobile App
Recent News AI Critical Care Surgical Techniques Patient Care Health IT Point of Care Business Focus

Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine Trials Temporarily Paused Due to Unexplained Illness in Participant

By HospiMedica International staff writers
Posted on 13 Oct 2020
Print article
Illustration
Illustration
Johnson & Johnson (New Brunswick, NJ, USA) has temporarily paused further dosing in all its COVID-19 vaccine candidate clinical trials, including the Phase 3 ENSEMBLE trial, due to an unexplained illness in a study participant.

In September, the company had announced the launch of its large-scale, pivotal, multi-country Phase 3 ENSEMBLE trial for its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, JNJ-78436735, being developed by its Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies. The initiation of the ENSEMBLE trial followed positive interim results from the company’s Phase 1/2a clinical study, which demonstrated that the safety profile and immunogenicity after a single vaccination were supportive of further development. ENSEMBLE aims to enroll up to 60,000 volunteers across three continents, and study the safety and efficacy of a single vaccine dose versus placebo in preventing COVID-19.

However, according to a statement released by the company, an unexplained illness in a study participant had forced it to temporarily pause further dosing in all its COVID-19 vaccine candidate clinical trials, including the Phase 3 ENSEMBLE trial. Johnson & Johnson has said that the participant’s illness was being reviewed and evaluated by the ENSEMBLE independent Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) as well as its internal clinical and safety physicians.

The company said that pre-specified guidelines for all its clinical studies ensure that the studies may be paused if an unexpected serious adverse event (SAE) that might be related to a vaccine or study drug is reported, so that there can be a careful review of all of the medical information before deciding whether to restart the study. According to Johnson & Johnson, SAEs were not uncommon in clinical trials, and the number of SAEs can reasonably be expected to increase in trials involving large numbers of participants. The company has said that it was learning more about the participant’s illness and would be able to share additional information only after gathering all the facts.

Related Links:
Johnson & Johnson

Gold Member
12-Channel ECG
CM1200B
Gold Member
STI Test
Vivalytic Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Array
Silver Member
Wireless Mobile ECG Recorder
NR-1207-3/NR-1207-E
New
Examination Data Management Software
DiVAS 2.8

Print article

Channels

Critical Care

view channel
Image: The potential for controlling diabetes with a single endoscopic treatment is spectacular (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

One-Hour Endoscopic Procedure Could Eliminate Need for Insulin for Type 2 Diabetes

Over 37 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes, and more than 90% of these cases are Type 2 diabetes. This form of diabetes is most commonly seen in individuals over 45, though an increasing number... Read more

Surgical Techniques

view channel
Image: The FieldForce Catheter is the first and only contact force PFA catheter optimized for the ventricles (Photo courtesy of Field Medical)

First-Ever Contact Force Pulsed Field Ablation System to Transform Treatment of Ventricular Arrhythmias

It is estimated that over 6 million patients in the US and Europe are affected by ventricular arrhythmias, which include conditions such as ventricular tachycardia (VT) and premature ventricular contractions (PVCs).... Read more

Patient Care

view channel
Image: The portable, handheld BeamClean technology inactivates pathogens on commonly touched surfaces in seconds (Photo courtesy of Freestyle Partners)

First-Of-Its-Kind Portable Germicidal Light Technology Disinfects High-Touch Clinical Surfaces in Seconds

Reducing healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs) remains a pressing issue within global healthcare systems. In the United States alone, 1.7 million patients contract HAIs annually, leading to approximately... Read more

Health IT

view channel
Image: First ever institution-specific model provides significant performance advantage over current population-derived models (Photo courtesy of Mount Sinai)

Machine Learning Model Improves Mortality Risk Prediction for Cardiac Surgery Patients

Machine learning algorithms have been deployed to create predictive models in various medical fields, with some demonstrating improved outcomes compared to their standard-of-care counterparts.... Read more

Point of Care

view channel
Image: The Quantra Hemostasis System has received US FDA special 510(k) clearance for use with its Quantra QStat Cartridge (Photo courtesy of HemoSonics)

Critical Bleeding Management System to Help Hospitals Further Standardize Viscoelastic Testing

Surgical procedures are often accompanied by significant blood loss and the subsequent high likelihood of the need for allogeneic blood transfusions. These transfusions, while critical, are linked to various... Read more