Allucent, a US-based, global clinical research organisation (CRO), announced on Monday that it has been selected by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to accelerate clinical research and development for next-generation COVID-19 vaccine candidates.

As the world continues to grapple with the ongoing challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for innovative and effective solutions remains paramount. Allucent says it is a leading clinical research organisation supporting the U.S. government in developing medical countermeasures for emerging infectious diseases.

Under BARDA's Clinical Studies Network (CSN), Allucent will initiate and implement a 10,000-participant Phase IIb clinical trial. The research is designed to evaluate the relative efficacy of next-generation COVID-19 vaccine candidates compared to approved/authorised COVID-19 vaccines to prevent symptomatic, PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection.

'Allucent is honoured to have been chosen by BARDA for this critical initiative,' said Mark A Goldberg, M.D., Allucent chairman and chief executive officer. 'This collaboration represents a significant step forward in our collective efforts to combat COVID-19 and its variants. We are excited to leverage our expertise and resources to help develop next-generation booster vaccines that will enhance global immunity and save lives. This award results from our focused investment in countering infectious diseases and further builds upon our growing federally funded clinical trials portfolio.'