The role of public involvement in the design of the first SARS-CoV-2 human challenge study during an evolving pandemic

Scientific highlights of the 9th ESWI Influenza Conference

The European Scientific Working Group on Influenza (ESWI) held the 9th ESWI Influenza Conference in Valencia from 17-20 September 2023. Here we provide a summary of twelve key presentations, covering major topics on influenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and SARS coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) including: infection processes beyond acute respiratory disease, long COVID, vaccines against influenza and RSV, the implications of the potential extinction of influenza B virus Yamagata lineage, and the threats posed by zoonotic highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses.

Ethical approval for controlled human infectious model clinical trial protocols - A workshop report

Controlled Human Infectious Model studies (CHIM) involve deliberately exposing volunteers to pathogens. To discuss ethical issues related to CHIM, the European Vaccine Initiative and the International Alliance for Biological Standardization organised the workshop "Ethical Approval for CHIM Clinical Trial Protocols", which took place on May 30-31, 2023, in Brussels, Belgium. The event allowed CHIM researchers, regulators, ethics committee (EC) members, and ethicists to examine the ethical criteria for CHIM and the role(s) of CHIM in pharmaceutical development. The discussions led to several recommendations, including continued assurance that routine ethical requirements are met, assurance that participants are well-informed, and that preparation of study documents must be both ethically and scientifically sound from an early stage. Study applications must clearly state the rationale for the challenge compared to alternative study designs. ECs need to have clear guidance and procedures for evaluating social value and assessing third-party risks. Among other things, public trust in research requires minimisation of harm to healthy volunteers and third-party risk. Other important considerations include appropriate stakeholder engagement, public education, and access to health care for participants after the study.